Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills
by TOGDoesStuff
Summary: Judy has been reinstated as an agent for the ZBI, Nick has his first partner, and their new case is going to test just how well they work together, all the while working out exactly what their relationship means to each other, and how they can manage both under rough circumstances. How well can they work with another team? Skye and Jack will put them through their paces.
1. Prologue

_**A/N:**_ ** _Hey guys, long time no main installment!_**

 ** _I'm back, and busy as ever! The catch? I have enough time to write again!_**

 ** _As always, Razgriz/GameBoy is editing for me- A huge feat considering he's beyond short on time at the publishing of the prologue, so major thanks for that. You rock, bro!_**

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_

 _ **Prologue**_

* * *

 _ **05-02-2018 2300 ZST: Bunnyburrow Train Station.**_

Judy stepped off the train, apprehensive as her paws made contact with the grounds of her old hometown, she hefted her small duffel bag containing a few changes of clothes similar to her current dress. Simple jeans, shorts and a couple button-ups meant for temperate weather, winter hadn't quite hit.

She pulled her cellphone from her back pocket, checking for her scheduled ride, which was still a few minutes away, running late.

She took a long, slow breath, familiar scent of the farmlands just a short run- for her, away.  
"It's been far too long." She said softly, a tiny smile breaking over her features, only to drop as her mind turned to her family. Her mother was aware she was arriving tonight, and had agreed to keep it quiet under the condition that Judy just be honest and open regarding where her daughter had been for so long.

 _It's gonna be fine._ Lefty said, _It's just gonna be mom tonight, she knows how to keep things under control._

"I know..." Judy all but whispered.

 _We're home!_ Righty cried, oozing excitement.

 _Not quite, we've still got a drive ahead of us._ Judy replied.

 _Yeah, but we're still here!_ Righty countered, refusing to let her excitement wane. _I can't wait to see the Kerfluffle!_

This remark brought the smile back full force, ears lazily falling down her back. Judy absolutely loved the kits and genuinely looked forward to being smothered under a pile of loving, fluffy chaos. brimming with warmth at the idea, her musing was broken by headlights cresting the hills on the approach to the station. A small sedan pulled up, neon 'Zuber' sign glowing on the dash. She reopened the app and hailed the vehicle, phone glowing with a matching shade to the sign, the motion encouraged the driver to accelerate before coming to a relatively smooth- if noisy, stop just shy of the doe. She slid the bag off her shoulder and took her seat in the back, the driver, a fairly young buck, greeted her warmly, looking in his rear-view mirror.

"Miss Hopps?" Judy gave a slight nod as she answered, "Yep! You have the address?"

He chuckled at the question, "The Hopps burrows? I doubt there's a single bunny in the county that _doesn't_ know where that is." Judy gave him a smile in response as he started down the road.

"So... You're Judy, eh?"

 _Oh boy... Here we go._ Judy thought, giving an affirmative, if hesitant nod.

"The same Judy Hopps that ended up working for the ZBI?" another nod.

"You're famous around here, you know. Beyond the family name, I mean." The buck stated, glancing into the mirror.

 _Infamous would probably be a better term._ she internalized.

 _Don't forget, you did have a sterling reputation prior to being wiped off the face of the earth._ Lefty said.

 _Fair point._

"Don't worry, I'm not in the business of ruining family visits. I'll keep it quiet." the buck stated, turning briefly to give her a smile and wink.  
"Thank you." She said, smiling back. He drove the rest of the way in silence, which the doe was very grateful for, she appreciated the momentary distraction, but she just wanted to turn her mind off for a bit before she set her pads on family soil.

A short drive later, the driver stopped at a large oak with a tire swing, marking the beginning of her family's property lines, "You sure you don't want me to drive you to the house?" he asked as he put the vehicle in park.  
"Positive, burrows may be soundproofed, but we both know the kits would hear a vehicle going over the tunnels." this got a laugh from the male,  
"Boy do I... I have to park in the shed just so I don't wake the kits in the middle of the night, worth the trouble to let them sleep, though. The missus would kill me if I set off the hordes at 2am!" he stated with a laugh, slapping his knee.

Judy paid the bill on her phone and handed the buck a few bills for a tip, "Thank you very much, it was a pleasant ride." she said, making her way out of and around the car, only for him to roll down his window,  
"I don't want to be a bother, but..." he began in a bashful tone, to which Judy cocked an eyebrow, "Do you think I could get a picture with you?" he asked, rubbing one ear. "My kits are just huge fans, my youngest in particular practically idolizes you, it'd mean a lot to 'em."

She couldn't help but grin at the comment, and agreed. The buck stepped out and snapped his picture with a massive grin, Judy taking the same pose they'd used for posters during the Nighthowler incident. He drove off as she slowly made her way up the trail to her old home, smells and sights in the dull moonlight bringing back droves of memories, she let out a quiet, contented sigh. Memories of childhood games and injuries, heartaches and celebrations.

Her reminiscing was interrupted when her ears caught a nearly inaudible sniffle from the house she was approaching. Focusing in the dim light, she could make out a familiar, but alien outline stepping off the porch adorning the well maintained old farmhouse.

"...Mom?" she spoke quietly, getting a harder sniffle in response as the figure went from a walk to a run, its ears flicking back as it drew closer, Judy dropped her bag to the ground and picked up her own pace, momentarily colliding with the other doe, she wasn't expecting tears on both sides, but there they were. The embrace was tight enough to break ribs, Bonnie Hopps being no pushover herself, they stayed quiet for a while, enjoying the comforting contact, Bonnie's paw instinctively stroking her daughter's ears.

 _Paws are as soft as ever... This is nice._ Righty commented softly.

"Where have you been, bun-bun?" Bonnie asked in a strangled tone, breaking the silence. "We haven't heard anything from you since you left after that nasty business with the deranged little sheep!" she said, voice breaking as she added, "We thought you'd... You'd been..." she couldn't finish the statement, Judy felt like someone drove an icy dagger through her heart, and twisted it.  
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't... Put you all in danger." Judy looked her mother in the eyes, trying to convey how much it had pained her to stay gone as long as she had, without so much as a word being sent home, "I promise, I'll explain everything."

Bonnie took a deep breath, putting her paws on Judy's shoulders, stepping back to give her a once-over.

"It's a long story, mom." Judy said, violet locking with violet, both watery and glazed. Bonnie, having decided she was satisfied with her daughter's condition pulled her back into a hug.  
"Alright sweetheart, grab your bag... I've got tea ready in the kitchen." Bonnie said, adding with a heart-wrenching, warm smile as she brushed away the tears, "It's so good to have you home, Judy." 

* * *

Nick and Judy made their way to the records department in relative silence, light patter of pad and claw echoing through the halls.

"Any idea why the records?" Judy asked, "Aside from the obvious Mole issue, I mean."

"Nah, he's probably just looking to go over whatever we've still got regarding the last incident."  
Judy glanced at her fox with a curious glint in her eye, "Did they manage to recover anything from your case?"  
Nick chuckled, "Our case, fluff." he corrected, before she could argue it, he added, "You may not have been on my side the entire time, but I wouldn't have closed it, much less _survived_ it without a certain, cute little bunny." he said, giving her a sidelong glance and his trademark smirk, all but begging her to call him on the 'C' word.

 _Don't you dare._ Righty warned, _Take the compliment, and get him back later._

 _Fine._ she conceded, ears blazing as they draped down her back. _He's going to have to learn what all that teasing does eventually, you know..._

 _We should probably include that in the uh... 'Tail' discussion._ Lefty commented.

 _Agreed._ Judy replied, the memory of the sensation alone sending a shiver through her small core.

"Cold?" Nick asked, having noticed the involuntary spasm.

 _On it!_ Tail chimed in gleefully, wrapping around the doe's waist, just in time for Bogo to open the door and see the motion, raising a brow at the mostly innocent display.

 _PDA buddy,_ _ **PDA!**_ he growled internally, his tail immediately flicked erratically, not exactly a smooth cover, particularly with the guilty look the fox wore before he could resume his usual relaxed expression.

 _But... Warm._ Righty moaned in desperation, to which Judy had a difficult time arguing.

 _What the hell has this fox done to me?_ was all the otherwise professional lapin could manage in the way of congruent thought.

"...We'll discuss _that_ later." the buffalo stated flatly.

 _Ah, biscuits._ both fox and bunny thought.

 _Well, this is a great first impression._ Judy thought.

 _You two_ _ **did**_ _save each other's hides more than once in the last few months, within hours on a given instance, we can smooth that over easily enough._ Lefty calmly suggested.

 _...Nobody said anything about fraternizing outside of work._ Righty added.

 _Regardless, we can't walk around like that while we're on shift._

Nick was running through a similar, if more agitated line of thought.

 _See what you did?!_ he growled. _I enjoy it just as much as you do, but we're going to cause trouble_ _ **FOR HER**_ _if we pull crap like that on shift!_

 _I can't help it!_ Tail keened, _You know full-well that I'm simply carrying out your locked up desires! She was cold! It's instinct! You keep your mate warm!_

That outburst caused the fox to gracelessly stumble over his own feet, drawing more unwanted attention.

 _She's NOT our mate!_

 _Yet..._ Tail countered.

 _It's not a 'yet'!_

 _That mark says otherwise, pal._ Tail remarked smugly. _And you clearly don't pay attention, or am I mistaking the pheromones she's been kicking off ever since that little photo-shoot in the office?_

 _That's!..._ Nick attempted to argue, but couldn't, given he'd been all but drunk off the intoxicating scent all morning. _A low blow._ he finished. 

* * *

"Judy... Why didn't you just come home?" Bonnie asked as Judy nursed her tea, the details of what she'd gone through leading up to the recent events in the isles, it took all the older doe had not to scream over what her daughter had suffered, alone. And that was with most of the finer bits omitted.  
She watched her daughter with watery eyes, wishing she could un-hear what she'd learned, that she could turn back the clock and stop it all from ever taking place. As that wasn't an option, she could only agree to keep Judy's story quiet, and offer what support she could in the days to come.

"I couldn't, not without bringing a threat along." she answered, staring into her cup, "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I put the family in danger, so I just rolled with it for a while."

Bonnie considered her daughter for a moment, knowing she wouldn't have been able to do any more than she had, given the circumstances.  
"I had no idea it had gone that far, dear. When you left, you made it sound like you were just taking another job for the city, not..." Bonnie motioned vaguely with her paws to get the words out, "Leaping headfirst into a mess big enough to bury an elephant."

Judy sipped at her tea, she couldn't bring herself to look her mother in the eye, just then. "I wanted to tell you, at least let you know I wasn't... You know." she murmured,  
"And leaving us wondering was so much better?" Bonnie cut in, a little more harshly than she intended, causing Judy to flinch at the sharp tone.

"I'm sorry, I really am..." she managed past a sniffle.  
Bonnie took a slow breath before speaking again, "I understand, sweetheart, I really do. I just wish it had never come to that to begin with." the older doe said with a softer tone.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Bonnie asked the one question she was most curious about. "Well, tell me a bit more about this 'Nick' fellow, he seems like an honest buck, from what you've told me, and he must be well put together if he's working for the bureau." the question got a tiny smirk from Judy, who'd... _Neglected_ to give specific details on the other agent involved in the OhNo case.

"I uh... never said he was a bunny?" Judy sheepishly commented, getting a questioning look as a result.

"Hare?" Bonnie pressed.

"Not exactly..."

"There aren't exactly many other forms of lapin in the world, bun-bun." Bonnie said with an amused tone, to which Judy gave an awkward smile, as she pulled out her phone, unlocked it and passed it to her mother.

Bonnie cocked a brow at the picture before her features melted into a warm smile, "He's the one that helped get you out of that mess?" Judy nodded, ears falling to the side a bit as she relaxed. Bonnie passed the phone back, saying in a lighthearted tone, "Not what I was expecting..."

"He's really sweet, and he just about took off his coworker's arm trying to keep me safe. At least, that's what one of the other agents said, off the record." this statement got a concerned look from the older doe, "He's not dangerous!" Judy quickly blurted out, "We were both injured! He was just... just..."

"Running on instinct." Bonnie said with a matter-of-fact tone, Judy just screwed her eyes shut, waiting for the 'he's dangerous' speech to come.  
It didn't. In fact, when she tentatively opened one eye to get a gauge on Bonnie's view on the matter, she was met with a warm smile.

"I'll have to find a proper way to thank him. Assuming you're planning on making him a regular installment in your life?"

"I..." she began, at a loss for words at the moment, she finally managed, "I'd like to, but I don't know if he's really going to be interested like _that._ "

Bonnie couldn't contain herself any longer, and started giggling at her daughter's bashfulness. "You've already marked each other, dear... I'd say he's very much interested _**like that.**_ " Judy's eyes flashed open, one twitching slightly at the statement.

"We've worked with Gideon long enough to know what a fox smells like, sweetheart, and I can smell it on you. Marks don't fade easily, bun. That's why we use them for our kits, too."  
Bonnie gave her speechless daughter a devilish grin as she followed it up, "And marks aside, from the way your scent changed when you spoke about him, you'll be getting a crash course in kit-care before long... You two _tie the knot_ yet?"

Judy's jaw dropped as she tripped over her tongue, trying to form words to state the contrary. " _ **MOM!**_ " she managed to avoid yelling, followed by, "We haven't-..."

"It's-..."

"We-..."

"I-..."

"..."

" _ **MOM!**_ "

Bonnie put her paws to her muzzle to muffle her growing laughter. Once somewhat composed- with a very flustered Judy staring at her, mouth agape, Bonnie simply waved a paw, "Relax, sweetheart. I'm only teasing, I know you won't go brooding anytime soon... You'll have plenty of time for that after you two have spent a few good years together."

Judy's jaw, surprisingly, dropped even further than before. "You're okay with it? Me and him, I mean?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bonnie asked.

"I... don't know?"

"There you go, sweetheart. Neither do I." her mother stated plainly, "But if he effectively went savage when he knew you were in danger, then I'm sure you'll be safe with him by your side. That's all a mother can ask for." The older doe smiled as they stood and embraced, "Get some sleep dear, your father's going to want to see you in the morning, before he starts the harvest."

* * *

Judy and Nick stepped through the door, both silently warring with themselves, and did their best to focus on the task at hand.

"So, what's the latest?" Nick began, getting a grunt from the buffalo and a grim sigh from Wolfard, who'd taken his seat as acting correspondent for primary records.

"Ralph?" Bogo said, immediately putting Nick into a curious state.

 _ **Ralph?**_

 _Oh boy..._ Tail replied, _He's already using first names? This can't be good._

 _No kidding._

Wolfard nodded, pulling out a very familiar envelope from the desk. It was Nick's report on OhNo, and it was empty. "The reason I called you two in here." Bogo began, speaking intermittently as Wolfard moved. Next came Judy's deposition, again, empty.  
"The only files being removed..." Bogo said as Wolfard continued pulling files from cases involving Winter and Savage, all barren, Nicks ears drawing back further with each file, Judy's having long since drooped down her back.

"Are strictly related to you two..." Bogo continued, the wolf now pulling out a snow white vixen's files while Judy and Nick gave each other a sidelong glance, "Skye Winter." another stack, sporting a striped bunny buck, "And Jack Savage."

Wolfard pulled out several full files, untouched and apparently unwanted, some of which were his own. "Everything else is tamper free."

"What about electronic records?" Judy offered.

Wolfard just let out a humorless laugh, turned the monitor and began cycling through empty folder after empty folder, all under the four listed names, followed by complete files under various other mammals, including Wolfard himself.

Bogo made a very simple statement, "Whoever this is, is interested in the four of you and likely has ties with the same mammal that was acting during miss Hopps' dismissal during the Nighthowler incident. Has taken interest in those she's been _associating_ with, which- with Wilde involved, includes Savage and Winter by proxy. They may simply have a vendetta against foxes and rabbits for all we know."

Nick whistled, "So, what... We've got a deranged, obsessive turncoat _and_ a hacker?" the fox said,  
"What makes you think it's not the same mammal, Wilde?" Bogo asked.

"Singular Specialized Training." Judy chimed in, getting a surprised look from the two larger mammals, "Unless you're selected for extreme work overseas, you rarely get trained in multiple specialties, and with the upkeep involved in hacking techniques, it's highly unlikely that any one agent would be trained to hack into our systems-" she turned to Bogo, "You mentioned everything related to recent cases being locked down to agent Wolfard's personal terminal and discretion." she turned back to the wolf, "As well as general espionage involving physical tasks, i.e. breaking into this room without leaving so much as a hair, much less avoiding every mammal in the building _and_ avoiding the 24 hour surveillance."

She paused momentarily giving Nick an opening to add, "Not to mention disabling _active_ camera feeds to leave the room- for all intents and purposes, uninhabited at the time of entry."

Bogo glanced between the two small agents, who were currently exchanging a smirk- Wilde topping it off with a wink, then toward Wolfard, "Well, I can see how you two ended up cooperating in the isles..." the buffalo mumbled to himself before addressing them, "An excellent theory." the two grinned wider. "Put it to the test."

They exchanged a less haughty, but equally determined look, answering in unison, "Yes, sir!" before they left the room.

"That... Was almost disturbing." Wolfard commented, getting a reluctant nod from Bogo,  
"Let's see if they can maintain it. I may have given Savage and Winter a break on their..." The buffalo paused, choosing his next words with care, " _Relationship_. But I was also able to personally witness how well they work together, reports are all well and good, but I'm not placing bets until I see these two in action." Bogo sighed as he exited the room, stopping briefly in the doorway. "It's not a reflection on Wilde, Ralph. We both know all too well how quickly things can turn sour when agents involve more than their wits in a case's outcome, and come up short."

"They'll pull it off, Adrian. Wilde's first case may have been a lucky streak, but it was backed up with appropriate, necessary decisions." Wolfard snorted, adding, "And that bunny- Hopps, has seen enough action to keep him on track if he actually steps off the rails."

Bogo gave the wolf a nod, "Let's hope so. Keep them as informed as you can, and keep me updated."

"Yes, sir."

Unbeknownst to the room, a tiny set of eyes watched from one of the cameras, tail flicking nervously, shame and guilt gnawing at the tiny mammal's psyche.

 _"I can't keep this up any longer..."_


	2. Chapter 1: SD&WN

_**A/N: As always, major thanks to GameBoy for his editorial assistance, even if he considers it to be minimal with the time restraints. (~,^)**_

 ** _Guest 1: Glad you're enjoying it!_**

 ** _Guest 1 (#2): Glad you're excited for the sequel!_**

 ** _Guest 1 & 1 (#2): Thanks for coming back for more!  
_**

 ** _GhostWolf88: Welcome to the insanity! =D_**

 ** _(\\_(\  
(b^,^)b  
_**

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_

 _ **Chapter 1: Sweet Dreams and Waking Nightmares**_

* * *

Judy woke with a start, sitting bolt upright, heart pounding.

 _Just a dream._ Lefty stated calmly, _You're fine, they're fine._

She took a few calming breaths, "Yeah, I know..." she murmured, shaking her head as she banished images of a blood soaked Charlie standing amidst the doe's slaughtered kin, holding Judy's impaled body up like a sick trophy, blood dripping from the same sword Judy had buried in her shoulder.  
"We can't stay long, there's bound to be someone out there still looking for us."

 _Under assumed names and hidden features._ Righty chimed in, adding an uncharacteristically logical view.

 _Charlie was an exception, she knew about us before we went away in the first place._ Lefty added, _And she's gone, as is that particular threat._

Judy hopped off her bed and began dressing herself for the day, glancing at the clock currently reading just shy of 4am, sun still yet to rise.

"Dad should be up by now, he's going to be waiting." she told herself, exiting her room.

* * *

Nick nudged the gray bunny at his side as they approached their office door, "You okay, fluff?"

Judy's ears snapped up, broken from her apparent trance, "What?"

Nick cocked an eyebrow at the lost-looking bunny, "I asked if you're okay. You've been spacing out a lot since we took the case. You were nearly hit by a bus, you just about walked into one of the transport pipes for amphibious mammals, you haven't eaten unless it's been pushed right under your nose..." the concerned fox stated.  
"I'm fine, Slick. Just wracking my brain on the case, is all." They'd been through everything they could get their paws on regarding agents who'd held a position with the bureau, with not one bearing the training or inclinations necessary to motivate or perform the act.

"You do know you're a terrible liar, yes?" Nick said as he ushered the doe inside, closing the door behind them, "Sit." he all but ordered. Judy had already  
checked back out, foot tapping on the floor.

* * *

"Hey Jude!" Stuart Hopps immediately set down a weathered mug adorned with flora and 'worlds best dad' written inside a heart- the one Judy had made as a kit when she was taking arts and crafts, as he stood to greet his wayward daughter, the sight warmed her heart almost as much as seeing her father for the first time in what felt like ages.

She gave him a hug hard enough to crush a bear, "Hey dad! Harvest going well?"  
The old buck waved a paw at the question, "As well as it always does, that's not important though. How you doing, Jude?" the tone and concerned look plastered to her father's face spoke volumes.

"Mom already fill you in, I take it?" she asked as they sat.  
"As much as she could." he said with a chuckle, "So... been a secret agent all this time, eh?"

It was Judy's turn to laugh, "Not exactly, dad. More a paw-for-hire, recently."  
Stu smiled awkwardly, "And uh... Bon mentioned a fox?"  
Judy was expecting him to broach the subject quickly, and helped cut the fat, "Yes, he's very sweet."  
Stu swirled the contents of his mug a bit, considering his next words carefully, "And you've already made a declaration of sorts?" this wasn't a question, so much as a statement of fact, he could make out the scent of the mark even now, the change in her scent and body language was also apparent when the fox was mentioned.

"I have." she said, quickly revising it to, " _ **We**_ have." Stu nodded, being an old-fashioned mammal, a mark was a serious move, and carried every bit as much sway as a ring, all their children were raised to follow that same logic.  
He decided to jump straight to the point, "When are we going to meet him?"  
"I'm not sure, yet..." she began with a paw brushing over one of his marks, "He actually offered to come with me, but I kind of wanted to keep it low key, for now."

Another nod from the buck, "I assume he's aware of the implications in exchanging marks?"  
"I'm... not sure." Judy said with a bit of trepidation, "I haven't really touched that subject with him."

Stu tapped his mug with a dull claw for a moment before speaking again, " **Will** you be?"  
Judy locked eyes with the buck, "Yes."

Stu smiled at his daughter, standing from the table he gave her another hug, "That's my girl. You keep your mom and I posted on how things go, okay?" the old buck pulled out an old pocket watch to check the time, "I need to get that old tractor started or I'll never finish before sundown." he stated before draining what was left in his mug and planting a kiss on her forehead, "We can talk more after dinner tonight... It's good to have you home, sweetie."

* * *

 _Seriously, I think we broke her back at the isles._ his tail mused.  
 _  
This is something else, and it's eating her alive._ Nick countered.

 _Agreed..._ Tail muttered, _That's_ _ **our**_ _job!_

 _Yeah, it's a re-..._ Tail's statement finally hit home, _Really?!_

 _AAAhahahahaaa!_ Tail howled with laughter, _Took ya long enough!_

 _Not the time, pal..._ Nick groaned in response, _We need to sort out whatever this is, she needs her head in the game._ he scolded, _And so do we!_

 _Someone needs to stay loose, and she's gonna need that twisted sense of humor, if it's as serious as you're implying._ Tail said, _You know I'm right._

 _Fair point._ Nick conceded, _Now... Bunny, broken, fix._

 _Bunny, cute, fluffy._ Tail replied, to which Nick rolled his eyes with a small grin.

Judy was still tapping away, so Nick lifted her off the ground with an **'eep!'** and placed her on the desk, seating himself directly in front of his bunny, taking her paws.

"Talk." Judy finally looked at him, his features were drawn, and etched with all the telltale signs of a mammal lacking rest, much less proper grooming.

 _He needs to know._ Righty said, _Look at him!_

Her own ears drew back as she really took stock of her partner, he was as much a mess as she was. His eyes were beyond tired, crusted over with lack of sleep. Behind the usual controlled exterior, they were screaming for answers.

"Please." he added, "I can't do anything if I don't know what's getting to you."

* * *

Dinner went off without a hitch, when all was said and done, Judy was exhausted after a final conversation with her parents, mainly regarding her plans upon her return to the city, Nick- naturally, being the focal point. They'd never expected Judy to settle on anyone, much less find a mammal that would be accepting of her choice of career, and they were- much to Judy's gratitude, quite alright with the current circumstances in light of everything she'd been through in her absence.

She retired to her old childhood room, still adorned with posters and paraphernalia relating to police work and spy films, a pile of stuffed dolls mounded up on her bed.

Flopping down on the bed, she let sleep take her, dreams of red leaves drifting over a veritable ocean of emerald green grass swaying in the breeze, slowly decaying into blackened stems and dead brown fields. She felt the earth beneath her dip as some unseen weight settled over her body. It wasn't uncomfortable, at first, but the weight increased until it was pressing the air from her lungs.

 _Wake up..._

She ignored whatever the voice was, trying to shift out from under the rapidly worrying weight.

 _Wake up..._

The weight was now accompanied by heated air ruffling her fur.

 _WAKE UP!_

The doe's eyes snapped open, greeted with fangs gleaming in the darkness, the source of weight and heat now made clear. There was a small wolf hovering over her, claws dug into the bed, locking her in place with the blankets, she couldn't move.

 _Morning sunshine, we've got an issue._ Lefty commented, now clearly known as the voice she heard moments before.

Judy stared death in the face, literally, as she both thanked and cursed the walls for being thick enough to silence an elephant trumpeting, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The wolf snapped it's jaws, "I don't think you're in much of a position to ask questions, Hopps." snickering at the doe, he added, "I could always visit one of the other rooms. If you're not comfortable with having a visitor yourself."

 _Out of the question._ Lefty deadpanned.

 _You think?_ Judy snapped.

Righty just snarled.

"Okay, okay..." Judy said, not wanting to trigger the invading mammal, "What can I do for you?"

 _Besides snapping his rotten neck?_ Righty chimed in, full of rage.

 _Cool it, we're still at a disadvantage here._

"Much better." the wolf commented with a toothy grin. "Word has it you've got an in with the ZBI. Is this true?"

Judy, thinking quickly, deflected the implications, it wasn't a complete lie, anyway. "I _did_ at one point. I've long since been dismissed."  
This statement got another snap of his jaws, she didn't even bat an eye. "Don't be coy, Hopps!" he growled. "The _**fox**_."

"The who now?" she countered,  
The wolf then took a long, slow sniff at one of her cheeks, making her cringe slightly, "I can smell him on you, girl... I know it's Wilde."

 _Great, just great..._ she thought, _I earnestly forgot I'm not the only one crazies will be after._

 _Just keep this weirdo calm, and away from the kits._ Lefty interjected.

"...What about him?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and leveled.

"He's got a... _special_ , place in the Bureau. One which our organization is very much interested in being a part of." the wolf stated, "We need _you_ to help encourage him to cooperate. Off the record, of course."

"So... You're soliciting me for a _business connection_ , then?"

The wolf smiled at the response, "That's a good girl... you accept?" Judy cringed at ' _good girl_ ', the way the wolf said it made her feel greasy, like she needed to scrub herself to be rid of the words.

 _Just agree,_ Lefty suggested, _we can figure out who and why as we go, and they'll leave the family alone as long as they_ _ **think**_ _we're working in their best interests._

Judy put on a look of disinterest, "Any pay involved?"

"Plenty."

"I never say no to a good paycheck."

The wolf smiled. Before she could react, he jabbed her with a very familiar sort of pen, no doubt a tranquilizer as her vision began to swim almost immediately.

She heard those wretched words one last time before falling unconscious.

" _ **Good**_ _ **g**_ _ **i**_ _ **r**_ _ **l...**_ "

* * *

Judy let out a sigh, pulling on his paws, he didn't hesitate to draw closer as they brushed muzzles and she twisted a paw into the fur at his scruff. "Not here."

Nick gave her a nod, eyes getting a little more life in them at finally getting a response from the doe that was more than a deflection or simply 'what?'.  
He grabbed his phone and tapped out a message to Clawhouser, bcc-ing it to Wolfard.

 _ **N: Taking the afternoon, back in the morning. LBKA.**_

"Come on, fluff. We're taking the back door." Nick said as he slid Judy off the desk, left the office with doe in tow, and took the stairwell all the way to the basement.

As he popped open a small hatch in the corner of the stairwell, he clawed a button hidden in an indentation within the vent, Judy heard a series of clicks echo through the shaft, while Nick replaced the hatch. He pulled out his phone to the ding of two responses.

 _ **W: Understand, LBKA.**_

 _ **C: Got it, LBKA! Have fun! =3**_

"LBKA?" Judy questioned.

"Something Benji started, 'Let Bogo Know After'. No real significance, beyond Ben being obsessed with acronyms, anyway." the fox replied with a chuckle.

Nick led Judy through a mostly empty garage, exiting through an emergency fire door, one that seemed to be malfunctioning as it didn't alarm when opened to a small flight of stairs going to ground-level, outside.

"That's what the button's for, if you need to make a quiet exit without dealing with anyone. Just so you know." Nick stated.

"Isn't that a security issue?"

"Only if you're the one that rigged it, and know about it." Nick replied with a grin.

Judy turned back to the door, then to the fox, and back again, "Nick!" she growled, boxing the tod's arm, "That's WAY outside regulation... You're gonna get dismissed if they find out!" the flustered, worn doe blurted out, "You could go to Elkatraz for that!"

"Bogo knows." He stated nonchalantly.

Judy was at a loss for words, so Nick continued, "I'm nocturnal, fluff. Some weeks are rough enough I need to be able to leave quietly, and konk out for a bit. Bogo's aware of that, and I've saved this place from being downsized more times than either of us cares to count. Bogo trusts me with more than the city would ever expect, he knows I'm good at what I do, and now he's extended that trust in the form of being a field agent, as well."

The sun was beginning to set as Bogo watched his newest pair walk off the grounds, his phone lying on the desk, fresh messages lighting up the screen.

 _ **C: Nick out, taking girlfriend.**_

 _ **W: Nick out, partner too.**_

Alongside a single sent message.

 _ **Get some rest, Wilde. You look like hell warmed over, sort out your partner by morning.**_

* * *

Nick pocketed his phone, not needing to respond to Bogo's message, he was going to find out what was wrong with his bunny, and she'd get a good night's rest if he had to tie her down and tranq her to do it.

"Where to?" Judy asked, having come to terms with their... interesting exit.

"Home." Nick stated, pulling out his keys, he unlocked his vehicle with a 'beep' before opening the passenger side and ushering the doe inside.

"You know the address, right?" she asked with a yawn, settling into the seat.

"Sure do." he replied, glancing over, she was already out cold.

 _How long do you think it's been since she slept?_

 _Dunno..._ Tail replied, _She seemed right as rain when she showed up at the office._

 _Guess we're not the only ones good at keeping things under wraps._ Nick commented with a grimace as the engine roared to life at the turn of a key. He began driving, Judy's deep breathing calming his frazzled nerves, it was a fairly pleasant trip.

That is, until the doe woke with a start, nearly jumping out of her seat with a terrified... squeak? Causing the fox to swerve hard.  
"Mangy hell!" Nick yipped out, correcting his course.

"What!?" Judy asked in a panic, "Are they back?!"

Nick let out a puff of held air, resuming the trip with claws digging into the steering wheel, relaxing after a moment. He glanced back to the doe, who still looked like she was having a heart attack.

 _...'They'?_ He silently questioned, _Who is she so worried about?_

 _Someone bad enough to give_ _ **her**_ _nightmares?_ Tail commented, _I know she doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but that's not exactly a reassuring thought, given what she's capable of._

 _No kidding._ Nick agreed, _Whatever's been going on, it's not good._

"Sorry... That's me on the left..." Judy said, embarrassed over her sudden outburst, as the Pangolin building drew closer, then began fading behind them.

"...Nick?"

"Whoops, missed it." He said, trademark grin settling over his features as his mind ran through possibilities regarding what had Judy so spooked.

He drove a few more minutes, Judy falling asleep again shortly after passing her apartment building, he pulled into a small gas station, pumped some gas and pulled around for a second stop at a small restaurant. It was a family owned joint, and they knew the fox well enough they were surprised when he requested two meals, Judy had come-to long enough to see the fox get back in the car and pass her a bag with two containers, filled to the brim with Chinese.

"F-O-O-D." The fox stated plainly, getting a small laugh from the bunny, who promptly fell unconscious once more, the added warmth from the containers not helping her case.

Reaching their destination, he prodded the doe lightly, "Hopps..." thankfully, her return to the waking world wasn't violent this time, the containers she clutched were spared disaster.

"Come on, we're here." he said, taking the bag. Judy all but stumbled out of the vehicle.

 _Think she can make it up the stairs?_ Tail questioned.

 _I don't think she could make it through the doors right now._

This thought was immediately followed by the doe tripping over her own feet a bit, ears turning red as she looked to Nick, who was watching the bunny with a great deal of concern.

"I'm fine." she said unconvincingly, followed by _'meep!'_ as Nick wrapped an arm under her own, hoisting her up to his chest, a pair of keys dangling in front of her twitching nose.

"If you wouldn't mind unlocking the door?" he said with a smirk.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking." she weakly stated, knowing this was a losing argument.

"Your feet would beg to differ, Fluff." he replied with a chuckle. "You get door duty tonight."

 _Wait a minute._ Judy thought. _Where are we?_

 _Nick's place._ Lefty stated, _If the keys are anything to go by._

 _SCORE!_ Righty screeched.

 _Hold on, I thought you guys could see stuff when I'm unconscious?_

 _That's situationally relevant._ Lefty explained.

 _...What?_

 _Don't question it._ Lefty deadpanned.

Judy was far too tired to argue any further, and resigned herself to being toted through the doors to the elevator. Nick cleared his throat after stepping into the lift, jiggling the bunny slightly as he faced the buttons, getting a giggling response, "Which floor?"

"Seven."

Judy punched the button, shaking her head as another small laugh escaped her, "You're Incorrigible, you know that?"  
Nick gave her another jiggle as he replied, "Absolutely, one hundred percent."

They reached the landing moments later, and Nick made his way down the hall, Judy couldn't help but consider the fox's previous offer on the extra room as she took in the building.  
Upon reaching his door, he looked down at the doe, "Yeah, yeah... I know." she said with a tired smile breaking across her face, she flicked through the small set of keys, finding one bearing the number on the door and unlocked it, turning the handle, she gently pushed with her foot, the door swinging smoothly and silently inward. Nick turned to the right, positioning the doe in front of a switch, which she gingerly flicked, turning on the low lights.

Judy may not be nocturnal by nature, but she was always a fan of soft lighting, it just felt cozy. She took in the den area as Nick carefully placed her down on the carpet, it was simple and inviting, conservatively furnished, but no wasted space to be seen.

 _Somehow, I'm not surprised..._ She thought, Nick watching the bunny with baited breath as she carefully strolled into the room, the scent of her fox permeating the space, she felt quite at home already.

 _Foxes and their dens,_ Lefty began, _They really do put a lot of care into it, don't need to be a vixen to appreciate that._

 _It's so..._ _ **warm.**_ Righty commented, _Can we just stay here? He already offered..._

 _I know, but-_ Judy began, only to be cut off by Righty, _But what?_

 _..._

 _No witty retort?_ Lefty asked, amused.

 _We'll talk about it._

 _She means 'yes',_ Righty chimed.

Judy realized Nick was still watching her as she softly sat on the plush love-seat on the closest wall, and she couldn't think of anything beyond a heartfelt smile she was incapable of stopping and two sincere words, "It's lovely."

The fox's tail started slowly swishing as he passed her, heading for the kitchenette.

 _She likes it!_ Tail purred, _Think she'll stay?_

 _Dunno, but it'd be nice to have a roommate._

 _You mean to have_ _ **her**_ _as a roommate._ Tail replied with a smug tone.

 _Yeah, yeah... Let's just get her relaxed enough to talk about whatever's driving her insane, okay?_

 _Might be easier than you think._ Tail said, _Take a look._

Nick set the bag on the counter, and sure enough he was greeted with a sleeping bunny on the small sofa. He went to the extra room, grabbing a blanket for the doe before hitting the bathroom for a shower. He emerged a little while later and found her sleeping soundly, grabbing a fresh towel and one of his shirts from his room, he gently shook the doe.

"Wha?" Judy blinked a few times, eyes adjusting, he held the items out for her, gently nudging her off the seat, and directing the sleep deprived female to the bathroom. She didn't need to be told twice, she stripped down, put her clothing in the small hamper and gladly went about taking a good, long, hot shower.

Working the suds into her short coat, she couldn't help but smile while her mind drifted off to the fox in the other room.

 _Think he still wants us to move in?_

 _Would he have brought us here if he didn't?_ Lefty shot back.

 _Fair point._

 _Plea-se?_ Righty begged.

 _I'll bring it up._

 _Look at it this way._ Righty began, _You have that nightmare before he woke you up?_

This question brought her paws to a halt as the water slowly rinsed away the shampoo she'd been massaging into her coat.

 _..._

 _See?_ Righty continued, _We're safe here, you can't argue you don't feel the same way._

She couldn't, but she did have a response, _It's not just us I'm worried about. You know that._

 _You can't do much when you're dead on your feet all day._ Lefty interjected, _At the very least, you'll be able to sleep enough to keep your head straight._

 _Okay! Okay. I already said I'll bring it up!_ she replied in exasperation, _If I didn't know better, I'd think you two just silently conspire on this stuff all day._

 _We do._ both voices replied in harmonious glee.

 _You two are gonna kill me one of these days._ she stated with a sigh.

Judy turned off the water, thankful the fox had a fur-dryer installed as the warm air blew away the moisture she couldn't press out of her coat. After toweling off the dregs, she lifted up the proffered shirt, it was just about big enough to serve as a nightgown, tail poking through the split in the back. She buttoned it up and stepped out of the bathroom, her nostrils were immediately assaulted by the smell of food and tea. Nick had apparently taken to warming the takeout and plating it up, he looked up to see the refreshed doe waltzing into the space.

 _She's wearing our shirt!_ Tail howled, flailing excitedly.

 _Easy boy, it's not a big deal._ he replied with a chuckle, he wasn't about to say it aloud, but it was one of those things he'd always looked forward to at some point, having a female walk out in one of his shirts, he was quite pleased with the result.

"Better?" he asked,  
"Much." she replied with a contented sigh, "You're quite the host."

Nick gave a flourish of his paw and a small bow, "Welcome to Casa Del Wilde." he pushed a nearly overflowing plate toward her, loaded with noodles, rice and veggies. He took a seat next to the doe and poured two cups, Tail wrapping around the doe. They ate in a comfortable silence, Judy steadily demolishing her plate, Nick just happy to have the company.

They finished their meal, and took their tea to the den, settling into the love-seat, Nick- unfortunately, had to break the relaxed mood.

"Ready to talk?" Judy gave him a reluctant nod, and explained what had transpired at the burrows.  
Nick's expression slowly darkened as she finished her tale. "Do you know who they are?"

"No clue."

"Why haven't you said anything to Bogo?"

"I couldn't be sure if they actually had anyone watching the building or not. Can you think of anyone that would have inside information on what you do?"

"Nobody I wouldn't trust."

Nick tapped his mug with a claw while he processed what she'd told him, "I'll get something set up with Bogo on the sly, we can at least keep your family safe until we can find whoever's calling the shots, and put a stop to it."

Nick stood, motioning for Judy to follow. "For now, let's just get some sleep... can't have you walking in front of a bus again." he stated with a grin. He directed her to the spare bedroom, and hit the lights once she settled into the bed.

"Night, Fluff. See you in the morning... We'll figure this out."

"Goodnight, Nick..." He went to close the door, and was brought up short, "Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

The fox smiled, nodding as the door closed. Judy closed her eyes, and slowly drifted off.

Nick quickly followed suit in his own bed, having made a mental note to speak with a few choice mammals in the morning, he was enveloped in the welcoming milky blackness of sleep.

At some point, the void slowly morphed from blackness into a field heavily peppered with gemstone purple flowers, a stormy gray sky looming above, it was familiar, and calming.  
At least until a butterfly, white as fresh snow, landed on his belly. The tickling sensation drawing a chuckle from the fox, he brushed the insect away, only to receive a rather powerful kick to one of his shins from some unseen force, causing him to wake up.

The source was quickly identified as a fuzzy gray invader, a smile adorning her face, tail steadily flicking in her sleep. He wasn't sure when she'd ended up there and- given her lack of rest in general, doubted she was aware of the change in scenery herself.  
Smiling at the welcome intrusion, Nick simply didn't have the heart- much less the inclination, to wake her. He opted to shift himself a bit, wrapping an arm over her midsection, trapping the twitching appendage on his chest. His own tail taking its preferred spot, laying up and over the doe like a furry blanket.  
The motion caused her to wriggle back into the fox with an adorably contented sound he could only describe as keening, he gently tucked his muzzle over the top of her head, resting his nose between her ears.

Settled into place, the odd pair slept peacefully.

* * *

 _ **A/N MkII: I HAD to end on a fluffy note... Don't get used to it though! There will be happenings of varying sorts, to specify of which would spoil the surprise.**_

 _ **...VIOLENT KINDS!**_

 _ **Aw man... I spoiled it.**_

 _ **(\\_/)  
(x,x)**_


	3. Chapter 2: Wretched Recollections

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I've been struggling with this chapter for a bit, it's one I've been rolling over in my head since I decided to make this a series. As always, major thanks to GameBoy/Razgriz for his assistance, as well as a reality check, I was winding myself up on a certain sequence, as well as a title for this one, he made an undeniable point while we discussed this chapter.**_

 _ **GhostWolf88: You made a good point yourself, it was indeed quite messy to read as it was, I've revised prior chapters for ease-of-reading. I appreciate the heads up on my formatting!**_

 _ **Guest 1: Thank you! Judy will indeed be discussing some... steamy things, with Nick. (~,^)**_

 _ **Guest 2:**_ ** _¡ Gracias por volver por más! (Perdón por mi terrible gramática.)_**

 ** _Guest 3: Awww shucks... Glad you're enjoying it! (^,^)_**

 ** _BrutusDeagon: Thank you! As far as the exchange goes... gotta love lackeys and their overconfidence! ...Also cliches! xD_**

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_

 _ **Chapter 2: Wretched Recollections**_

* * *

 _ **Nick's place: 0100 ZST**_

Nick woke far earlier than usual, moving to stretch, his arm was caught and held by a small set of paws. The limb was squeezed and nuzzled by the bunny in the bed, clearly enjoying the comfort she found in such simple contact.

Nick's muzzle split into a grin, but he also had an urgent need to answer nature's call, he carefully slipped his arm out and away, replacing it was his pillow, which was quickly given the same treatment after a long, slow inhale from the doe.

After sorting out his biological needs, Nick took the opportunity to snap a picture, it was just too cute to pass up. That taken care of, he made a brief call to Bogo, informing the buffalo he had some business to tend to as well as a need to meet with him somewhere discrete, when it was done.

"Thanks, I'll let you know what I find out."

He made a card, quite similar to the one he'd left her months ago, though this time lacking the sick bunny. He placed the card on his laptop, and quietly slipped out, heading for the train station.  
As he took his seat in an empty car at the back of the train, applying a good coating of Musk Mask, his grin was replaced by a grim frown, eyes taking on the same feral coldness they held when he made his escape from OhNo's complex, a dying bunny clutched in his arms.

 _Who do you think it was?_ Tail asked, bristling slightly as it swayed to the side.

 _Don't know, I can only think of about three dozen mammals that would have a reason to use someone close to us as means of a threat._ The fox replied with a sarcastic tone.

 _Cute._ Tail replied. _Now, it's obviously someone who knew us before we got into the bureau._

 _Which doesn't narrow the list, unfortunately._ Nick replied,tapping on the windowsill.

 _True... but we can at least shorten it a bit by going over the_ _ **wolves**_ _that we knew._

 _Fair point. Let's do that._

 _There was that scumbag Mr. Big had on the payroll for a bit...?_

 _Sean Clawson? Nah, even when he had polar bears backing him, he was too much of a coward to get his paws dirty, let alone act in a solo setting._ Nick dismissed that one. _Marty Fangly?_

 _He died two years ago, hit by a car._ Tail commented.

 _Right..._

 _Think it's an offshoot of the Pack?_ Tail questioned.

 _Unlikely, the Alphas wouldn't tolerate defectors pulling anything like this._ Nick stated, _They might turn a blind eye to some shady dealing, but they never condoned threats that involved kits or cubs... the ones that dared to try anything like that were always '_ _ **dealt with**_ _' silently, and outside city jurisdiction._

 _True._ Tail conceded.

 _We'll have a better idea after our visit, I'm sure._

Nick stared out the window in silence for the remained of the trip, thankfully the train didn't have to make any stops, and he arrived in Bunnyburrow within the hour.  
He took a Zuber from there, the buck was clearly confused as to a well dressed fox making a trip to the Hopps' home at this ungodly hour, but he wasn't about to question it either.

They stopped just shy of a large oak with a tire swing, Nick paid, handing the buck a large bill, flashing his ID in the process, "You're going to wait until my business is complete, and you're going to drive me to the city when I get back." he narrowed his eyes, adding, "I was never here, understand?"  
The buck's eyes grew wide as he nodded, Nick's visage alone was enough to drive the point home. He wasn't going to ask twice, and he wasn't going to be happy if his instructions fell on deaf ears.

Nick casually strolled up to the house, pick the lock in complete silence and slipped into the burrow, taking a few long draws of the air, he picked out the scent he was looking for, faint as it was. He followed it through several tunnels, quiet as a ghost on his pawpads, ears perked for the slightest sound of anyone stirring.

The scent grew stronger as he drew closer to a door with a large 'J' tacked to it, he tried the handle, receiving no resistance, he stepped inside to find an immaculate room that looked like it was in some sort of time capsule. There were posters from spy movies and cop shows, family photos and old high-school trophies, the bed held a comically large collection of plush dolls.

 _Not quite what I expected..._ the fox thought, picking up a stuffed fox in a police uniform, it held an eerie resemblance to the fox himself. It even had emerald green eyes, causing the tod to cock an eyebrow at the interesting trinket.

 _Normally,_ Tail began, _I'd say that's downright creepy. But at this point I think it's kinda sweet... Bet ya that one's her favorite._ he finished with a slight chuckle.

 _Oh hush._ Nick countered, _We came here for a reason, which isn't centered around commenting on plushies._

He replaced the stuffed fox and proceeded to examine the bedding, sadly there wasn't any fur on it for a chance at a follicle and DNA. He could, however, make out tiny holes punched into the blanket. Hoping against hope the bedding hadn't been washed yet, he got on all fours on the bed and began sniffing away at it, desperate to pick up a scent that could help clarify who was bringing threats against the only effective family he'd known in decades.

That was when he heard a sickeningly familiar sound, and froze.

"Call the police, Bon." An older bunny stated, a freshly cocked shotgun leveled at the fox, "And don't you move, unless you want to be picked up in a body bag."

 _...Well, this should be an interesting first impression._ Tail stated.

 _Ya think?_

Nick very slowly raised his paws, "Mrs. Hopps, if you wouldn't mind waiting a moment on that, I can give you both very good reason not to do that." Nick stated, adding after a moment, "Or shoot me, for that matter."

Bonnie, against her better judgement, paused. Stu rolled his eyes at the request, but he wasn't about to just gun down the fox, either. "Somehow I doubt that."

Nick rolled with it, "I know this seems a little... suspicious. Random fox in a suit, sniffing your daughter's bed and all. But I assure you it's for good reason." Nick slowly lowered a paw as he continued, "I'm with the ZBI, and I have justifiable reason to believe Judy and your burrow may be being targeted by a rogue agency."

Stu kept the gun trained on the fox, the mention of Judy putting a crack in his determination. He watched as the fox pulled out a small billfold, letting it drop open to show his ID.

"Wilde?!" Bonnie gasped, she took a better look at the fox, sure enough he had the same pinhole clawmarks on his muzzle as the one Judy had shown her when she came home, she could also make out her daughter's scent coming quite strongly off the fox, now she was looking for it amidst the residual scent of Judy's belongings. "Stu, put that gun down!" she scolded, slapping the stunned buck's shoulder.

Stu lowered the gun, staring at the fox, "You're Jude's ma-... partner?" he asked, "Why in the dickens did you sneak in here? You could've called and let us know you were going to break in." the buck stated with an annoyed tone.

"What is going on?" Bonnie chimed in, "You said targeted... by whom? Why isn't Judy with you?!" she took a step forward, dull claw nailing Nick square in the chest, her ears were angled back and out, an eerily similar look in her eyes as Judy when she was about to dole out a beating, "Start talking, mister!"

 _Well, I can see where she gets it._ Tail commented with a gulp.

 _No kidding..._ Nick thought as his ears reflexively folded back at the Hopps matriarch's advance.

"That's what I'm here to find out, Mrs. Hopps. As to why Judy isn't accompanying me, she's taking the day off, for the most part. I'm trying to get a scent off the bedding." he turned to Stu, "Which I understand probably looks _really_ creepy out of context."

"Oh, not at all." Stu shot back, dripping with sarcasm as he carefully, gently released the hammer on the firearm, "Happens all the time, folks just waltz in sniffing our beds all night." he finished with every bit as much snark as Judy could lay on when she wanted to, face taking on an expression of 'You're joking, right?'.

 _And there's the sarcastic side..._ Tail said.

 _Apple doesn't fall far from the tree._ Nick replied, _Or uh, carrot doesn't roll far from the patch?_

 _Is that even a thing?_ Tail questioned.

 _Is now._

"You're saying Judy _and_ the rest of our kits are in danger?" Stu asked as calmly as he could.

"So long as they believe the idea that Judy is working in their favor? No."

"And you came here to find out who broke into our home?"

"Yes. I also have reason to believe whoever it was, has information on what I do for the ZBI, as well as what I did prior to entering the police force."

Bonnie cut in, "I still feel the need to reiterate. Why didn't you simply contact us and let us know you needed to investigate?"

Nick let out a short sigh before responding, "For the same reasons Judy couldn't contact you when she was gone, and why she couldn't bring herself to tell you what happened while she was here."  
Crossing his arms, he added with a more reserved tone, "You know better than I likely do that she would do anything she could to keep the mammals she cares about safe, and in this business it's literally a matter of 'The less you know, the safer you'll be'. she couldn't do anything she thought would make things worse for you- for her family." the fox finished with a grimace.

Neither of the older Hopps' could argue that statement, but Stu _did_ have two questions Nick could answer.

"Is there anything we can do to help? Anything they can do to keep my kits safe?"

Nick, prepared for that line of thought, answered quickly and calmly, "I'll be speaking with the Director about having some of our mammals- or officers with the ZPD, posted to your burrow while we work this all out. I know it's not likely your preferred option, but we can at least keep the property on lock-down until we're sure it's safe."

"We'd certainly appreciate it, if that can be arranged." Bonnie said, looking to her husband, Stu nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps, I really would have preferred to meet you under better circumstances." Nick said, running a paw over his ears.

"Bonnie and Stu, please." The older doe said, "...Does Judy know you're here?"

"That'd be a big negatory. She needs sleep right now, not more stress." Nick went back to the bedding as he spoke, begging to pick up an identifiable, familiar scent near the punctured sections of the blankets.

"But she's somewhere safe?" Stu asked.

"My place." Nick replied, freezing in place when what he said fully registered. He glanced over to the bunnies, ears drawing back as he quickly added, "No funny business, I assure you. She's just had a hard time sleeping since she got back. And-"

Bonnie brushed aside the remainder of the statement, "It's quite alright, Nick. If Judy trusts you in that regard, we can as well."  
The comment relaxed the fox somewhat, mostly due to the fact that he couldn't read Bonnie's mind, and her added thought of;  
 _I'm just waiting for you two to get things sorted out enough to enjoy some real quality time together... And looking at you- potential for a successful hybrid aside, you two could raise some wonderful kits._

Nick went back to huffing blankets as the bunnies watched and waited.

 _There's gotta be a hint of 'em..._

Burying his nose into the blankets, he took a huge whiff before his head shot up, ears splayed out, eyes wide.

"Find something?!" Bonnie asked excitedly, the fox's expression seemingly one of surprise.

Nick's face contorted, nose twisting to the side in a comical fashion, he let out a massive sneeze, shaking his head. Both bunnies deflated somewhat at the motion, having expected a revelation.

 _Wait. Is that..._ "Pantera del Sexo?" Nick said in a bewildered tone.

The Hopps elders exchanged a confused look, "Panthers with who now?" Stu asked.

"Sex Panther. An outlawed cologne, it has panther claw shavings in it... it's intended to be an aphrodisiac of sorts- _Bits of_ _ **real**_ _panther! That's how you know it works!"_ The fox stated with perfect infomercial inflection, "It was outlawed because all it really does is smell like gasoline- which was the base for it in the first place, and more often than not give the mammals using it cat scratch fever."

 _It_ **is** _sickeningly familiar, though._ Nick thought, wracking his brain for _why_ the wretched smell turned his stomach- besides the stench itself.

 _Why do you think that is?_ Tail questioned, tone going oddly melancholy.

Nick sat on the bed, arms folded, eyes going blank as he raced through old memories in search of the originating moment that provided the sinking feeling he now experienced.

* * *

A much younger russet fox was leaning against an alley wall in the Rainforest district, absentmindedly flicking a knife open, then closed.

"How long were we supposed to wait for these morons?" A diminutive fennec fox inquired, loading another round into his pint-sized rifle, complete with silencer.

"Three hours, Fin." Nick replied.

"It's been three and a half."

"I'm aware, pal."

Nick wasn't about to break his uncaring facade, even if his nerves were getting worse by the moment. Fin flicked open a lighter, taking a draw from the cigarette currently clenched in his fangs, releasing a cloud of smoke shortly after.

"I'm giving 'em ten more minutes before I walk."

Nick gave him a nod, he wasn't going to stick around much longer himself, mammals running late usually meant a deal went south. "Agreed."

They stood in silence, waiting for their designated targets to arrive. Tonight was a timberwolf, a jackal and a bobcat, all three known to have connections with drug dealers in the area, ones that weren't above selling their 'goods' disguised in candy or energy drinks to high-schoolers and kits.  
They were here to send a message, one that would hopefully scare the operation out of the city, assuming the mammals weren't smart enough to come quietly.

Mr. Big had received very troubling news regarding one of Andrew's children dying from the questionable street pharma. Naturally, he wasn't pleased, and got information on some of their runners immediately, selecting Nick and Fin to carry out _negotiations_ on his behalf.

"I understand why he's on this like he is, but why doesn't Big just forward the info to the ZPD?" Fin asked, clearly on-edge and bored with waiting.

"You already know the answer to that." Nick replied, equally bored and anxious. "They hurt his family, and he's got an image to maintain. Wouldn't you want blood?"

"I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't, Nick. You know where I stand on sellin' drugs to kits." Fin stated with a disgusted sneer. "My point is," Fin continued, "Even with Big's connections, this seems like something better handled by mammals who can make a live public statement on the whole mess after they shut it down." the small fox said, "Big has to keep his operations quiet, remember?"

Nick could only nod at that, "I see where you're coming from, but I guess I just don't care as long as they _get_ shut down overall."

They resumed their quiet vigil, waiting for the right mammals to make themselves known.

They were about ready to pack it up and notify Big that the runners in question were no-shows when they heard a crash from around the corner, a jackal rounded the corner followed closely by a bobcat clutching a satchel, both looking panicked, the jackal sporting a fresh gash above her eyebrow, the bobcat with a fairly pronounced limp.

They plowed into Nick, knocking him into the wall, followed by unintelligible threats being called after them, a small wolf came around the corner as Nick shot Fin a look, "If you'd be so kind, I do believe our party has arrived."

"Mmhm." Fin hummed, already taking aim. He pegged the bobcat in the shoulder, the jackal in the knee, fresh blood spraying over the newly stained, worn concrete as both mammals let out primal screams, hitting the ground. The wolf was smart enough to stop dead, turning to the mammals he'd ignored in his haste as he saw his cohorts hit the ground howling. He immediately dropped to his knees, paws going up.

"You're dead!" a warthog rumbled, coming around the corner, he was taken aback at the sight before him, "Who the hell are you!?"

"Nobody you need to remember." Nick stated, hackles rising, blade dimly flashing in his paw.

"Like hell! Those three just screwed me out of my shit, and they're gonna pay!"

Fin laughed at the attempted intimidation, "We're here on _**Big Business.**_ Who the hell are _you?_ " the fennec fox asked, squaring his rifle on the hog.

The warthog visibly deflated, everyone knew that 'Big Business' was a phrase not tossed around lightly, those that misused it in Zootopia's proverbial underground were generally hard to find the next morning. It meant you'd been commissioned by Tony Big, and it carried as much weight as a command from the shrew himself.

"I... uh. I'll leave you to your deal." He began backpedaling, hoping they would let him go.

No such luck.

"I don't believe you will." Nick coolly stated, bolting to prevent the mammal from slipping away, the wolf tried to run with the distraction, Fin's ears being as sensitive as they were alerted him to the movement and he whipped back onto the wolf.

"Where do you think you're goin'?"

With a keen, the wolf slowly got back to his knees, the two injured mammals were petrified on the ground, having heard the exchange. They'd resigned themselves to their fate, whatever it may be. Nobody crossed Tony Big or his men, running was admitting to a transgression against the crime boss and was as good as a death sentence.

Nick took agonizingly slow steps toward the hog, who carefully stepped backward, eyes going wide.

"You said 'They screwed me out of my shit'."

The hog nodded, realizing he had already signed his own warrant with a single statement.

"You've been supplying these scumbags?"

Another nod.

"Are you aware that ' _your shit_ ' is killing mammals?"

The hog froze, refusing to so much as flinch, he was already as good as dead.

"You know who they've been selling to?"

Astoundingly, his eyes grew wider. "No! I just pick it up and collect the money! I swea-"

Nick clucked his tongue at the hog, "Tsk, tsk... you should know lying won't do you any favors. You know. I can see that much in your eyes."

Nick took another step toward the hog. "Now... you have two options." Nick held up two claws, "One, you give us names, locations, everything." one claw down, "Or two... you can come with us to see the boss."

Nick put the remaining claw to his chin, feigning thoughtfulness, "And given the mood he's in, I suggest the former."

"I'll talk!" the hog blurted out, followed by a string of locations, names, dates, costs...

"Good, good." Nick said, pulling out a phone, he sent a prepared message.

 _ **Targets held, move in.**_

"C-can I go now?" the hog asked, all his bravado upon arrival replaced by crippling fear.

"Go?" Fin sneered at the hog over his shoulder, "You haven't even had a drink yet, and the boss likes to treat his guests."

The warthog's pupils constricted into pinpoints, "You- you said I could go if I gave you the info!"

Nick let out a cold bark of laughter, "Hey, Fin?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I say anything about letting this dirtbag go?"

"I didn't hear it in his options."

The hog began floundering as a white limousine pulled up, massive polar bears stepping out of the vehicle.

"This isn't fair! I GAVE YOU THE INFO!" he started flailing, the other three mammals were either too scared or in too much pain to bother resisting.

"Get used to it, pal." Nick jovially called after the hog.

He could smell each one clearly as the bears hauled them into the limo.

The hog reeked of B.O.

The Jackal carried an air of dryer sheets, the bobcat of pine needles, both steadily leaking the coppery scent of fresh blood.

The wolf smelled like burnt rubber.

* * *

 _Come on..._ Nick thought, _I KNOW we've smelled this crap somewhere..._

Stu and Bonnie were still watching Nick as he sat on Judy's bed, lost in thought.

" _Think he's okay?_ " Stu whispered.

" _I don't know, I've only just met him._ " Bonnie replied.

" _Should we say something?_ "

" _Like what?_ "

Stu shrugged, " _We could ask him how Judy's doing?_ "

" _He said she's safe, that's enough for me, right this moment... we can see about visiting her after this... thing, is sorted out._ " Bonnie stated, wringing her paws a bit. She wanted to press the fox every bit as much as her husband, but neither of them wanted to interrupt him if he was on to something.

 _Think back further, bud..._ Tail said, voice strained, sounding nearly depressed, _Way back... to mom._

 _...What do you...?_ Nick began to question what his tail was getting at, before the memories came flooding back, hitting the fox like a sledgehammer. _No..._

* * *

 _ **Happy Town: December 24th, 1995.**_

An emerald eyed kit was sitting at a small round table dressed in green tights and a matching medieval jerkin, feet swinging, munching on lucky chomps as a vixen with matching emerald eyes in a pawaiian print dress set her purse on the well worn-wooden structure, folding her winter jacket over one arm, picking a smaller coat off a hook.

"Ready for school Nicky?" she asked, chipper tone betrayed only by the bags under her eyes, the vixen was as overworked and tired as ever, but she'd burn before she let it show in front of her son.

"Mmhm!" Nick hummed through his mouthful, proceeding to chow down on the remainder, draining the colored milk upon swallowing the mouthful of cereal. He hopped down from his chair, all but skipping to his mother, currently holding out his winter coat. He wriggled his paws through the sleeves, shrugging slightly to get the article to settle in just the right position.

"Let's get going sweetie, we're gonna be late!" she flicked an eyebrow at her son, "You wouldn't want to keep Maid Marian waiting, would you, Sir Hood?"

"Ready!" Nick exclaimed, striking an iconic pose, as if ready to loose an arrow from his invisible bow.

Nick had always looked forward to school, if only for the fact he made the trip with his mother, she was far from absent in his life, but she worked so many hours she was always exhausted when she got home. Nick was a sharp kit, he could see the toll the work was taking on her, but he didn't dare say anything that would make her sad.

Tonight was special, he was going to be the world famous Robin of Locksley in his school's pageant, and his mom was going to be there to watch. He wouldn't miss it for the world.

Unfortunately, this was one trip to school that wasn't meant to be.

As Vivienne Wilde opened the door to their apartment, they were greeted by an albino hare and gray wolf, while still larger than the vixen, he was small for his species.

"Hey V. Time for school already?" the hare said, glancing down at Nick, who was shifted back by his mother, her tail wrapping around him defensively as his muzzle curled into a small snarl at the intruders.

"Peter. Thomas." she began, keeping her voice confident and level, refusing to show any emotion to the unwanted mammals currently standing between them and their exit, "I've already paid this week, you're going to make us late, and unless you want your boss to know you're the reason I can't pay him _next_ week, I'd appreciate if you would kindly let us through." while she kept her composure, she couldn't stop the edge in her tone, much less the venomous glare in her eyes.

Nick didn't know why she had to pay these jerks every week. He didn't like them, they were mean to his mom, they were the reason she had to work so much, and they stank.

"Now Vivienne, I know you're in a hurry, but there's been a small change to your little arrangement." the hare stated with a very fake expression of sorrow crossing his face.

"Then he can discuss that with me himself, when I'm not busy."

Vivienne made to move past the two, only for the wolf to dig his claws into her shoulder, getting a shocked yip from the vixen.

"Mom!" Nick snapped at the wolf, tiny fangs bared, small claws flailing at the wolf, "Leave her alone!"

The wolf plucked him up by his scruff, "Isn't that just precious, got yourself a regular knight in shining armor." the wolf mocked the angry kit.

"Nicholas!" Vivienne dug her claws into the paw on her shoulder, drawing blood... She'd had enough, she finally snapped.  
"Put. Him. Down." she snarled, eyes narrowing as she glared at the wolf.

The hare started chuckling, and turned to leave, Nick hoped the wolf would follow suit. His world began rolling around him as the hare called back, "Try not to have too much fun, Pete!"

Nick hit a wall, landing in a disoriented heap on the floor, his vision swimming. He heard the wolf keen and growl as sharp claws ripped into his muzzle.

"Nick, run!"

He could hear his mother's voice desperately calling out to him, but he couldn't register what she was saying in his dazed state.

What unfolded next was nothing short of a nightmare.

He watched from the floor as fur and blood flew into the air, the wolf's muzzle dripping blood, his mother's coat slowly growing darker as both her blood and the wolf's slowly stained her dress, the goose down of her coat mingling with the fur thrashing through the disturbed air.

"RUN!" She screamed again, begging her son to flee. She knew she was outmatched, and she didn't want him to see whatever else was coming, didn't want him to fall prey to the beast in their den.

Nick lost consciousness, he had no clue how long it had been, his mother's cries still ringing in his ears when he came to.

The wolf had torn his mother to shreds, her eyes were blank and lifeless, her dress in tatters around her. One paw, reached out toward the young fox, had the claws dug into the floorboards so deeply it may as well have been nailed down.

He went to his bedroom and pulled a small box from under the bed, he unwrapped it and pulled out a small silver chain. He'd been doing odd jobs for neighbors to save up enough money to buy his mother a gift, since he never saw her get anything for herself on the holidays.

Nick wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to feel anything. All he could do was grab a blanket from the bedroom, cover his mother, having latched the bracelet on her bloodied wrist and curl up next to the one mammal that he'd ever had in his life.

 _Merry Christmas mom... I hope you like it._

He was still there when the EMT's and police arrived, someone had reported a domestic disturbance, but the police were drawn so thin in places like Happy Town, they'd arrived far too late. Finding a non-responsive kit curled up next to his own mother, her blood dying his fur, making it stiff and crusty. He'd absentmindedly pulled one cold arm over himself, clutching the limb as if it were the only thing that could keep him safe, head resting on her lifeless paw like a pillow.

His nose was filled with the mingling smells of his mother, blood, wolf... and gasoline.

* * *

"Nick?" Bonnie asked again, waving a paw in front of his muzzle, trying to get the fox's attention.

She slowly stepped backward as the unresponsive fox's features drew back into a dark, murderous snarl.

" _ **NO!**_ " he half yelled, half growled.

Bonnie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden outburst, having no clue what caused the sudden change, Stu reflexively put himself between his wife and the inexplicably aggressive fox.

 _I'm sorry, pal._ Tail began as Nick shifted from outraged to tears running through his fur, _I didn't want to pull that one out of the void, but we can't let him do it again. Not to them... Not to her._

Nick had buried the detailed version of his mother's death for so many years, he never wanted to think of it again, he'd so carefully hidden everything, hiding it all behind that mask he wore every day.

He bit down on his emotions enough to regain some composure, looking at Bonnie, he apologized, her violet eyes reminding him that there was still something worth protecting, the same eyes her daughter inherited.

He'd buried it all, until that strange little bundle of fluff threw a monkey wrench into the gears, put a massive crack in that armor, made him genuinely care again.

"I hate to leave you on a negative note, but I need to get moving. Now." Nick stated, cold hard determination settling into place, "You'll likely be put in touch with Wolfard, he's our acting correspondent, good mammal." he added as he made for the door, he had to talk to Bogo, and soon.

Bonnie and Stu exchanged a slightly baffled glance as the fox all but flew by.

She called after the fox, "Do you know who it is, then!?"

"Unfortunately, yes!" the fox's voice came back, given the volume, they could surmise he was likely about to hit the main door to the Burrow. "I'll tell Judy you said hello!" his retreating voice echoed back to the two.

Nick was already sprinting as he crossed the threshold, phone ringing with a shot of a water buffalo filling the screen. He leaped into the driver's side of the waiting vehicle, and punched the gas, "You'll get it back in one piece!" he called out the window as the buck that drove him into town fell backward with a thud on the grass, he'd been leaning on the rear bumper, flicking through his Muzzlebook feed. All he could do was stare at the shrinking vehicle speeding off without him. He knew he should've taken the night off.

Nick heard the beep of his call being accepted and wasted no time in making his statement.

"Sir? I've got bad news..."

Bogo pinched the bridge of his nose, having glanced at his bedside clock. Leaning back into his pillow, he mumbled, "When is it ever _good_ news at three in the morning?" the Director had hoped that he might actually get some sleep before the fox called him again to meet, though he now realized he should have known better when it came to Wilde...

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

 ** _A/N MkII: I earnestly had no intentions of publishing this on the cusp of Christmas... I really didn't._**

 ** _That said, such is my astoundingly bad timing._**

 ** _Sorry if I brought the mood down on this one, I've been both anticipating and dreading this installment, but it needed to be finished for the events to come._**

 ** _Things will get better, I promise!_**

 ** _(\\_/)  
(^,^)b_**


	4. Chapter 3: Sensitive Subjects

_**A/N: Hey, long time no updates, am I right?!  
...I'll go back to my corner now.**_

 _ **Joking aside, sorry this took so long, I've been working on making this one just so.  
As always, major thanks to GameBoy for his help, both with editing and whether or not I was dragging anything out, as I was close to becoming a bit long-winded with a few bits, I'm honestly happy with how this chapter turned out in all aspects but the time spent writing it, I'm still adjusting to the new job. xP**_

 _ **FoxITHH: Yeah... I've been saving that bit for a long time now... Merry Christmas! =D**_

 _ **BrutusDeagon: Oh snap, indeed.**_

 _ **Guest: Glad you're enjoying! Hope this one satisfies!**_

 _ **Admiral Cimar: Judy... might not learn the identity of said murderer before Nick rips him to shreds. Though to confirm anything one way or the other this early would spoil what's to come.**_

 _ **Hope you all enjoy a little more soul-bearing fluff before the scat hits the turbine!**_

 _ **(\\_/)  
(^o^)/**_

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_

 _ **Chapter 3: Sensitive Subjects**_

* * *

Judy woke to find herself alone, but unlike usual, it didn't carry the usual lonely _feeling_ that accompanied an empty room, her muzzle was buried in a pillow, the scent it held giving her a comforting sensation she hadn't experienced in a very long time. She couldn't actually remember the last time she felt this at ease.

 _Oh yes you can._ Righty commented, lazily flicking on the bed. _The hotel..._ she added, suggestive tone on full-force.

"What...?" the doe replied, too comfortably groggy to put two and two together.

 _Sleep well?_ Lefty chimed in.

"Very." she replied, stretching a bit before nuzzling into the pillow once more with a contented sigh. "What time is it?"

She glanced over for her little pink alarm clock, instead she saw an unfamiliar bedside table holding a laptop and a very familiar looking card.

"..." the gears finally started turning as she registered the room, "Oh boy..."

 _Yep!_ Righty giggled.

 _You..._ _ **may**_ _have had a little cuddle time, last night..._ Lefty stated.

Judy's eyes flashed open, ears snapping up, "...Define ' _cuddle time_ ', please?"

 _Unfortunately there was no_ _ **heavy petting**_ _involved._ Righty said with clear disappointment.

"You're telling me, that after he brought us back to his _**DEN,**_ I slipped into his room-"

 _Yes._ Lefty confirmed.

"And cuddled up to him, in _**HIS BED**_."

 _Yes!_ Righty all but screamed, suffice to say, she was ecstatic.

"...At least I didn't strip in front of him again." Judy mused as her ears turned a blazing red. "He must think I'm a creep." she added, dropping her head into her paws.

 _He didn't seem to have any objections last night._ Righty said, suggestive once again. _I think he liked it, actually._

"...Really?"

 _I'm gonna have to side with fuzz-for-brains,_ Lefty said, a bit hesitantly, _He kind of... cradled us? I'm not sure exactly how to put it._

 _He was the big spoon!_ Righty squealed.

 _That... actually works as an analogy, in this case._ Lefty confirmed.

The only response Judy could muster was a somewhat intrigued "...Huh."

 _Do I really need to reiterate on this?_ Lefty questioned in rhetoric. _You two went through a life and death situation- nearly siding on the latter, and spent weeks recovering together... That's not a simple 'good friends' kind of experience. That's the hallmark of a lifelong relationship, one not easily broken. You've both shown more than once you're not afraid to put your lives on the line for each other._

"Fair point." Judy admitted, "So, what? You're suggesting we effectively jumped from 'Friends' to 'Honey-do'?"

 _For lack of a good metaphor?_ Lefty replied, _Yes._

This didn't really shock the doe, considering everything she'd been through. _They'd_ been through... maybe, for once, the right mammal was in her life. Maybe they could make this work in a more _intimate_ setting.

Naturally, this was followed immediately by doubts.

"What if..." She began carefully, "What if he's not the 'settle for life' type?"

 _Foxes mate for life, genius._ Righty stated with annoyance, _Any more silly questions?_

"Anatomy." Judy stated plainly, crossing her arms.

 _...Touche._ Righty conceded, though playfully enough Judy knew there was more coming.

 _He left a laptop_ _ **right**_ _there. We can always do some_ _ **research.**_ Righty said, Judy swore that if ears had eyebrows, they'd be waggling right now.

"I am _**NOT**_ looking up any of _**THAT**_ on his computer."

Ears turning an astounding shade of red, she pulled out her phone. "I can't believe I'm doing this..."

She unwittingly spent several hours studying up on fox anatomy, she was familiar with most aspects, as her previous training covered general physiology for quick take-downs on larger mammals, the rest of it, however...

"..."

 _Does that thing really?-_ Righty started in a flustered tone.

"Don't say it!" the doe quickly cut her off, she was certainly more _aware_ , of a male fox's... _**equipment**_ , but she wasn't exactly prepped to discuss any of it, even with herself.

She closed the laptop after scrubbing everything off the device relating to her investigation, and proceeded to take a very, _very_ cold shower. Her nerves calmed significantly as she stood over the fur drier.

"I just can't believe it swells that much..." She mused. "That _has_ to be painful."

 _For you, or him?_ Righty blurted out, clearly still quite heated.

"Don't start!"

 _I can't believe you watched that many-_ Lefty chimed in, only to be cut off in much the same fashion as Righty.

"Sweet cheese and crackers..." Judy whimpered, "Please, don't. Not right now."

 _...Dirty birdy._ Lefty stated, causing the doe's eye to twitch. Was she a little ashamed that she may have watched a bit more _study material_ than was likely necessary?

Yes. Yes she was.

Righty was disturbingly silent for a moment.

 _Two Vixens, One Knot._ Righty finally said, before crumbling into laughter.

"ARGH!" Judy hollered in defeat, head hitting the wall. She hopped back into the shower.

 _Old beets, rotten lettuce..._ She thought, attempting to banish the images haunting her more animalistic side.

 _Tying knots._ Righty interjected.

Judy just let out the same keening sound Nick had heard before leaving as she slowly slid onto the shower floor with a lengthy squeaking noise ending in a slight splat.

"You two are pure evil, you know that?" She growled at her ears.

 _Evil?_ Lefty began, _Not at all, we're simply voicing what you refuse to._

 _She's right, and you_ _ **know**_ _it._ Righty added smugly.

Judy just lay under the cold spray for a while, pondering her most recent change of life.  
With a long sigh, she simply stated, "I need to talk to him, if nothing else, he needs to know what he's doing with all those gestures."

She let out another sigh, though one filled with both content and longing.

"Those sweet... gentle... blood boiling gestures."

When she'd finally cooled off adequately, dressed and refreshed, she opened the laptop once more, this time to see if she could get any information on mammals that may have any loose links to the bureau or the force, hoping she may also come across potential perps for the wolf that made the threats to her family at the Burrows.

...She missed the window that had been left saved in the background, with some very _suggestive_ content on full display, were anyone to check it.

She found several mammals that roughly fit the bill, but they were either deceased or serving life sentences.

"Well, that was a waste of time." the doe grumbled as the laptop closed with a click, setting it on the beside table she slid off the bed and made for the kitchenette, absentmindedly checking her phone, she was met with a message from Nick, she'd forgotten to take it off 'silent'.

 _ **N: Hey Fluff. Sorry I left before you got up, I'm assuming you're awake by now, make yourself at home, there's plenty of food in the fridge, cups are above the sink, plates next to the cups. I should be back soon, just taking care of a couple things with the Director.**_

* * *

Nick was in casual attire, leaning against the railing overlooking a large garden on the edges of Tundra Town, it was the only heated section of the city, made possible by a controlled feed coming off of Sahara Square, a veritable garden of eden in the frozen sector of Zootopia.

Bogo was accompanied by Wolfard, followed shortly after by Jack Savage and Skye Winter- the latter pair fresh off the boat, all of them dressed in garb that screamed 'Tourist'.  
They approached the fox taking in the garden, as they did so Bogo continued his conversation with Wolfard, jargon relating to the stock market.

Savage and Winter were dressed in convincing faux-fur attire they'd picked up on their own case, they'd been overseas in Nova Ferocia for nearly a year, setting their cover in stone, as such they were more than fluent in the local dialect, and opted to speak it knowing their fellow agents were trained to understand and speak a wealth of languages.

"Как ты думаешь, почему он так быстро позвонил нам?"  
" _Why do you think he called us out here so soon?"_ Skye asked.

Jack shook his head slightly as he replied,  
"Ничего хорошего, Уайльд не делает запросы, как это. Ваша догадка так же хороша, как моя."  
 _"Nothing good, Wilde doesn't make requests like this. Your guess is as good as mine."_

They were already exhausted and ready to take a much deserved vacation, they were unaware of what had transpired at the bureau in their absence, short of vague details.

The odd collection of mammals went about 'appreciating the garden' as the fox pulled out a phone, which had been triggered to ring via alarm. 'Answering' the phone, the mammals began their dance.

"I was beginning to think you'd never get back to me!" the fox chuckled at the non-existent mammal on the phone, the edge in his voice was clear, Jack's ears also picking up an erratic heartbeat from the fox. He was all but panicking.

All mammals present joined in, using key words as conversations tumbled over one another, what sounded like a mess to passerby was a controlled chaos that allowed for an exchange of critical information without the liability of code being transmitted via hardcopy, phone or open discussion.

"Can you believe that massive point drop this morning?" Bogo asked, Wolfard groaned in response,

"I'm honestly shocked that place hasn't tanked yet!" the wolf growled, "We nearly lost our entire investment on it!"

Jack's ears flicked at that statement, "Они не просто потеряли несколько файлов... они потеряли все."  
 _"They didn't just lose a few files... they lost everything."_

Skye gave a grim nod, "Они сказали нам, у нас есть моль, но они никогда не говорили ничего о том, как далеко, что на самом деле пошел."  
 _"They told us we have a Mole, but they never said anything about just how far that actually went."_

Nick's 'conversation' continued, "I'm counting on you to find a good babysitter for the kits, you know how dreadful it is for them to deal with that wolf howling all hours of the night. I don't want to hop on the first one we find."

Bogo nudged the wolf with a chuckle, "Guess we should start being more careful with how we pad our pockets, eh pal?"

Wolfard pulled out a pen and paper, scribbling down a few things before handing it to the buffalo.

 _ **Hopps.**_  
 _ **Family threat.**_  
 _ **Wolf.**_

Bogo scribbled his own before handing it back.

 _ **Security compromised more deeply than we thought.**_  
 _ **Wilde and Hopps being followed.**_  
 _ **Savage and Winter also at risk.**_

Wolfard tapped the pen on his muzzle as if in thought before jotting down another note.

 _ **Get Savage and Winter debriefed asap?**_

Bogo nodded as he put down one last note of his own, handing it to the wolf to be read and subsequently burned.

 _ **Order a discreet dispatch from the ZPD to watch that burrow.**_

Wolfard gave a bark of laughter, slapping the buffalo on the arm as the two began walking off toward the snow covered streets, "I think that may just work! We'll keep all of our assets covered, and we'll still have wiggle room to explore new ventures!"

Bogo gave an equally hardy laugh, "I thought you might like that! Now, let's go get ourselves something to warm the bones, eh?"  
The last part wasn't really code, the buffalo just really wanted a drink at this point.

Savage and Winter lingered a bit longer, taking in the first bit of greenery they'd seen in the better part of a year in earnest, now the director made his exit.

"Ну, это было приятно видеть тебя, Ник."  
 _"Well, it was good seeing you, Nick."_ Jack stated.

"Мы скоро догоним."  
 _"We'll catch up in full soon."_ Skye added as the pair wandered off to find a good meal, and get some sleep, the vixen's tail curling over the buck's shoulder while his paw lovingly tangled with her own.

Nick ended his 'conversation' with "Love you too pumpkin! We'll be seeing each other again soon!" much to Jack's amusement.

pocketing his phone, he nearly jumped as it _actually_ went off.

 _ **J: Thanks for the heads up, I can at least return the favor and make lunch, assuming you're on your way?**_

Smiling, he tapped out a quick response before setting off toward home.

 _ **N: I am, but I'm fairly sure that a certain overtired bunny is supposed to be taking it easy today.**_

 _ **J: I'm not going to drop dead making a salad, Slick. =3**_

 _ **N: If you insist... but I'll take my carrots on the side. =3**_

Too late did Nick realize his fatal mistake. Cursing the mammal that invented emojis and all manner of expressions via symbol, number and letter, he'd hit 'Less than' instead of 'Greater than'. He attempted to correct the suggestion before she got the wrong idea, but it was far, far too late.

 _ **J: Oh... will you, now?**_

"We're dead."

 _Yep._ Tail agreed, drooping to the sidewalk.

the fox cringed at the sound of a message being received, what he saw, however, resulted in his head cocking to the side with a "Huh..."

His phone downloaded the photo, showing the doe in the same shirt he'd given her the previous night, lounging back on the edge of the counter next to a plate holding the greens of a salad base, she had a smirk a mile wide, and suggestions blazing in her half lidded eyes.

 _ **J: So... like this?**_

Nick had no response. His brain was fried.

 _Taxi?_ Tail suggested.

"Taxi."

* * *

 _That was probably a little much..._ Lefty stated.

"Oh please, he's just getting a little of his own medicine."

 _Yeah!_ Righty agreed, _Just wait 'til we get our paws on him... he's gonna pay!_

"Woah, woah... I'm just teasing him a bit, we're not _doing_ anything yet."

 _Yeah! we-. We're not?_ Righty asked, crestfallen.

"No! We've been here a day! I'm not jumping the gun on this."

 _Fine, don't jump the gun, just his bo-_

"Don't!"

 _..._

"..."

 _...Knot._

"ARGH!" Judy's forehead met the counter on very unkind terms, she covered what she'd prepared thus far and hit the shower.

"You, are a terrible appendage."

Righty didn't respond, she was too busy laughing maniacally. She was going to trigger the doe one way or another, or it was never gonna happen. She just needed the right circumstances...

Nick made his way up the stairs to his penthouse, he'd have taken the elevator, but he was still blowing off steam.

 _...Think she's still by the plate?_ Tail inquired wistfully.

"Shush! I'm trying _not_ to think about that right now." Nick was still quite flustered over the response, and stripping off his overcoat while waiting for the taxi out of Tundra Town had helped, but not much.

 _She's as good as a vixen in this scenario._ Tail commented with a thoughtful tone, _therefore, if she's_ _ **putting the offer on the table**_ _, it's your solemn duty to accept._

"Okay, first off? Bad pun, I should know, I'm a master." Nick replied, adjusting his collar for emphasis, "Second; she's just messing with us, she's teasing, having fun."

 _She probably hasn't actually had a chance to, y'know, flirt before._ Tail mused.

That statement struck Nick as being oddly profound, based on what she'd told him, she'd never had a relationship that didn't boil down to 'I'll kill you if it comes down to you or me'. Much less had any real connections outside family that she could ever put any stock in.

"She's just... stretching a bit, exploring an unknown." Nick stated with a chuckle that slowly drew down into a thoughtful frown, "Jeez. She really does have a lot in common with us, doesn't she?"

 _Sorry, I was still thinking about her 'exploring an unknown'._ Tail responded with an overtly bubbly tone.

Nick let out a sigh, "I swear... you're like a kit in a candy store sometimes."

 _And you're not?_

"..."

 _M-hm._

"Fair point, but moot nonetheless. We're not _hopping_ into bed when she's only been here a day."

 _Ooooh, nice pun._

"Told ya." Nick said with a grin, " _MASTER._ " he paused briefly before adding, "I just want to take my time with this... she's worth it. And I wan't her to be able to do the same."

 _Fine, I'll stop prodding, for now._

"Thank you."

 _...SALAD._

"Oh for **** sake..." the fox groaned, paw slapping into his forehead, "I hate you."

Tail just laughed, he had no intention of dropping this, or letting up on goading the fox, this was going to happen one way or another. He was going to make sure of that.

Judy had changed into her running kit, having made a trip to her apartment to pick up a few things, a few changes of clothes while she and Nick worked out exactly what they were going to do regarding her current housing, and his clear insistence of her moving out of 'the shoebox'.

* * *

She was putting the finishing touches on the light lunch she'd prepared, applying a sprinkling of romano cheese over the salads, just in time for her target to open the door to the hall.

Grinning slightly, she shifted the plates a bit, picking up a small dish she'd set aside, she hopped up to sit on the table, smaller dish in paw.

Nick gently closed the door behind him, hanging the overcoat on the hook by the door, he called out lightly, "You still sitting on the counter, Fluff?"

He turned, strolling toward the kitchenette as she coo'd out her response.

"Table, actually."

Nick stopped dead, sure enough she was seated on the edge of the table, next to a finished salad, he didn't quite register the item in her paw.

"Well, I think I found my appetite." he said, softly enough he didn't think she'd catch it.

She did.

"Good, I made it _special_." her voice was sultry and taunting, those amethyst eyes smoldering behind lashes that did nothing but accentuate every subtle nuance they held.

He'd noticed all these things before, but he was only now taking stock of them, and he didn't want to look away.

Judy, however, had other plans, and she wasn't nearly done teasing the tod. He had a bowl held under his nose... containing carrot slices.

Her heated gaze flicked like a switch to an amused grin as she handed him the bowl, and slipped off the table to take her seat. "Carrots on the side, right?"

Nick was momentarily dazed as he stared into the bowl, "Oh. Uh, yeah... r-right."

"You... didn't think I meant something else, did you?" she taunted, knowing full well what she herself had suggested not an hour before.

 _Right around my little claw... Welcome to the game, Slick._

Nick knew a hustle when he saw one, and she was playing hardball.

His passive smirk fell into place while he replied, "Of course not, Fluff. I was just lost in your eyes for a moment." he finished off the statement, taking a mouthful of the sliced carrots, muzzle first, "Must be in season, they're nice and sweet!" he mumbled through the mouthful, flashing his fangs after swallowing the bite, tongue flicking out to run over his canines with a satisfied cluck.

Judy's eyes were locked onto his teeth and tongue, he knew she'd been glancing with more than a little fascination at dinner last night, poorly masked at that. She had a fixation, and he was going to play on it.

She wasn't expecting him to actually eat the carrots, she was at a bit of a loss. Never one to back down, she went for a more passive angle, given the reaction in the hall the other day, she went for a shiver, commenting, "It's a little chilly in here, isn't it?"

 _Ooh!_ Tail exclaimed, flicking out to wrap around the doe seated next to them.

 _Don't you dare!_

 _But-_

 _You can wait a few minutes._

 _B-_

 _No buts!_

Judy didn't miss the involuntary flick, but was disappointed when his tail seemed to spasm and settle into his lap as he sat.

"a little warm, I think..." Nick said, glancing over, his face fell from smug victory to guilty when he saw the doe's face twist into the disappointed, longing stare that was quickly shifted away, toward the table.

 _Aw hell..._ he conceded, _Go ahead, I can't be held responsible for her eyes looking that damn sad._

Tail obliged. Judy's mind quickly raced through the situation as the tod's tail wrapped around her, Nick budging his chair closer in the process.

 _What am I doing?_ she asked herself, eyes going to her feet as she started wringing her paws.

"Nick?"

The fox flinched at her tone, it had gone from taunting to reserved far too quickly. "I'm sorry, Judy."

Her eyes immediately locked onto the fox, why was _he_ apologizing? She's the one that started this... today, anyway.  
"For what?" she asked, wanting to follow up and reprimand him for it, she bit her tongue, however, and let him speak.

"I know I haven't exactly been easy on you with the uh... suggestions." he stated, running a paw over his ears, "I haven't exactly felt this comfortable with anyone since. Well, ever, really."

She could see he was being honest just by his body language. "I know what you mean, Nick. I wanted to talk to you about, y'know... _things_."

For all their external bravado, they were both very much awkward in this regard, neither had ever really been intimate with another mammal before, and once they were broaching realms beyond simple flirtation they were both extremely inexperienced.

Nick took the next step, "I know I can be a little unbearable sometimes, but I was raised to let the vixen, or uh... bunny, in this case, take the lead, males generally just. Err..." he cleared his throat, finishing the statement, "Entice. It's a fox thing, if that makes sense."

"Oh..."

 _Well, that explains the constant teasing._ she mused, _I guess the internet was right for once, it really is on the vixen for foxes..._

 _So we really get to initiate?_ Righty asked with a bit too much excitement.

 _Don't you even start!_

"I'm not really sure what to do myself, I didn't really get a chance to learn proper etiquette since mo-" the fox bit his tongue, literally, redirecting his choice of words, "Most mammals I grew up around weren't exactly up to speed on vulpine customs."

 _That was a hard redirect..._ Lefty stated, flicking at the sudden change in tone.

 _He really did lose his mother._ Judy reluctantly remarked, _And from the sound of it, far younger than he'd suggested when he detailed the start of his hustling stage._

This thought had Judy's ears slowly bending backward, he'd had to learn whatever he knew on his own, and based on his statement, it wasn't much in this regard, he'd probably picked up bits and pieces reading up on his own species, much like she'd done this morning, though hopefully without the _informative_ videos.

"I just didn't want to rush anything, I guess." Nick said with a sigh.

"It's okay, Nick. I won't say I understand, and I won't push you to talk about _why_."

The fox brightened a bit at that, emphasized by his tail flicking in her lap.

"But..." she started carefully, "I hope you'll be willing to talk to me about it, when you're ready."

 _Well, she didn't miss the crappy cover-up._ Nick thought.

 _No, but she sounds like she'll actually wait until we're ready to talk about mom and dad._ Tail commented.

"That's all I could ask for, Fluff." he said, giving her one of those rare, genuine smiles... she was really starting to enjoy seeing them become more frequent, but there was still something behind his eyes, something ready to break. She desperately wanted to find out what, and fix it, but she was going to keep her word, this relationship- while still young, was something she could see blossoming into a wonderful thing. A sentiment she was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt her fox shared.

'Her fox'... She couldn't think of him any other way, circumstances be damned, there was something worth hanging onto in him, something she both understood and was completely mystified by.

"So..." Nick began, "Start with some food and cuddles?"

"I'd like that. I really would." Judy replied, features melting into that hauntingly warm smile.

 _Are we gonna tell her?_ Tail asked.

 _Once she's had a couple good nights... yeah, we'll tell her._

The two enjoyed the meal in their usual comfortable silence, Nick was surprised to find his salad was peppered throughout with small shrimp, and shocked when he saw the doe toss one of the ocean roaches into her mouth, biting into the pink object with a _pop_ and a satisfied smile, then laughed at the embarrassed look on her face when she realized he was watching.

"It's fish! It doesn't count!" she'd stated defiantly.

"Don't worry, you're carnivorous secret is safe with me." he'd assured her, still laughing.

They'd since moved to the loveseat in the den, Judy having curled up with her head under the fox's muzzle, nose buried in his chest, paws kneading away at his fur. Tail wrapped up over her legs, he had one arm around her waist, the other propped up, claws running gently down her ears, something he knew she enjoyed, at least when done in a relaxing manner rather than a sensual motion. He wasn't sure what the chittering sound she was making was about, but he recognized the accompanying 'keen' from the night before as he watched her tail flicking rapidly enough it may as well have been vibrating. He had to admit, dull bunny claws felt astoundingly nice when she got them through his heavier coat.

They remained this way for quite some time, both knowing this was one of very few opportunities they'd have in the near future to rest and enjoy one-another.

Nick couldn't help but consider this most recent change to his life, and the relaxed smile it brought to his face.

 _Who'd have guessed I'd be laying here, holding a bunny..._ He thought.

 _You think mom would have liked her?_ Tail questioned.

 _Are you kidding?_ Nick countered incredulously. _She could give any vixen a run for their money, hell, that's even assuming there's a vixen out there that could keep up with this crazy bundle of fuzz!_

 _Bunny, fluffy, cute._ Tail replied happily.

" _Yes... yes she is."_ Nick breathed, barely audible even to himself.

As if on queu, Judy's claws clenched into his fur as she lifted her muzzle up, nuzzling into his own, the heated look was returning to her eyes as she pushed herself up a bit to look him in the eyes, but it was more controlled this time, more conscious... more focused.

They locked eyes as the doe adjusted herself, she brushed one cheek down one side of his muzzle, repeating the motion on the opposing side, this was one thing Nick's mother had explained to him when he'd asked why she always brushed her muzzle once before leaving the apartment. It was an extremely intimate motion, marking your mate was both a reassurance and an affirmation of intent for life... but to actively take a mark was a show of trust in that declaration, it was a more significant acceptance of that declaration than simply exchanging in turn.

His mother did it to remind herself of what was lost, and calm her frazzled nerves, it wasn't the same as the real thing, but it was one of very few ways widowed or widowing foxes managed to function after they lost their mate, the others just shut down, resigning themselves to a hollow, slow passing...

He wondered if the doe had any clue what she was saying with that otherwise innocuous action, though he didn't question it for long, her breathing grew shallow as her ears angled out, sideways, those half lidded violet orbs searching his emerald.

She slowly drew closer, tiny breaths washing over his whiskers, he closed the minimal distance. It wasn't what most would call a passionate kiss, or maybe even intimate. It was soft, slow, a little clumsy, but more than satisfying for the mammals involved. Breaking away, they gazed into one another's eyes for a few moments, Judy's breathing still shallow, Nick's steady, but betrayed by his heartrate, which Judy could both feel through his chest, and hear.

She closed the gap this time, causing the tod's ears to flick forward before taking a relaxed half-mast position, the arm around her waist had shifted to rest a paw at the small of her back, the other tenderly bracing the back of her head while her paws twisted into his fur.  
She slowly tilted her head to one side, mimicking one of the few ' _safer_ ' videos she'd borne witness to that morning, tongue slowly dragging over his lips, so far as she'd found, it was 'an irresistible invitation, for a male.', sure enough, Nick involuntarily returned the motion, though with more care, given their size difference. Her own immediately found purchase on his canines, flicking over the sharp tips before mingling with the rougher texture of the vulpine appendage.

She'd been made aware of just how flexible a fox tongue could be, but she wasn't expecting the range of pressures, flatnesses and twists the muscle could perform from one moment to the next, it was something that quickly gained the same degree of fascination as those fangs, possibly more.

 _Just imagine what that wicked thing could do wi-Ooooh~_ Righty's comment between light moans and pants was brought up short, Nick's paw having shifted to roll a claw at the base of each of the doe's ears. _How does he know just where to scratch?!_

 _I think the better question is; who cares?_ Judy countered, glad the initial thought wasn't finished in time. She was already well beyond heated... she needed to stop before she took this any further, at least for now.

 _You'll have plenty of time to explore, it's not like this is the last chance you'll ever get,_ Lefty gently chided, _There'll be more... and he already stated he's not looking to jump the proverbial shark._ she finished with a giggle. She'd never say it, but Lefty enjoyed the exchange every bit as much as they did.

She reluctantly broke away, drawing back, a razor thin line of saliva was all that was connecting their muzzles now, both mammals looking somewhat drunk as they watched the dim light coming through the mostly shut blackout shades dancing across emerald and violet.  
They didn't know how long they stayed that way, nor did they care, hot air clashing between the two, neither seemingly able to catch their respective breath.

Nick had a dozen witty statements to fire off at that exact moment, every last one of them fell flat, resulting in a single, all-encompassing remark.

"...Woah..."

Judy giggled at the stunned expression the fox wore, both mammals regaining some composure, she opted to nuzzle back into his chest with a very contented sigh, tail going a mile a minute, a stark contrast to the steady swish of his own.

He curled around the doe once more, an eerily similar position to the one they were found in, bathed in each other's blood some months ago.

Judy couldn't help but ask a simple question she'd already been given the answer to, "Hey, Nick?"

"Hm?"

"Do you..." she paused, considering whether she should even say it.

 _Why are you even questioning it at this point?_ Lefty asked.

 _I don't know, I just need to hear it._ She shot back.

 _Fair enough, then stop being a twit and do it already._ Lefty stated with a more loving tone than scolding.

"Do you really want, y'know... this?"

Nick cocked his head to the side so he could see the doe's face as he responded, "Gonna need to be a little less vague, Fluff." he said with a chuckle, "That could be interpreted in a lot of ways..."

He knew full-well what she meant, but he wanted to hear her say it, and he was more than willing to goad her into it. They'd already made it quite clear, both before and after escaping from OhNo's complex, though they'd certainly admitted love for one another, they hadn't exactly stated that they wanted that love to last, or even go beyond that simple admission. "Do I want a roommate? Do I want a cuddle buddy?"

Judy's paws twisted in his fur a bit as he continued, "Do I want a crazy little grey bundle of fluff as a partner?"

She knew he wasn't going to stop dancing around it, so she finally looked him in they eye and asked, voice barely even a whisper;

" _Do you really want_ _ **me**_ _?"_

The look in her eyes, somewhere between tears, hope, and a self doubt he couldn't believe she was still clinging to brought an immediate end to his string of teasing dodges. He raised his paws to cradle her face, one on each cheek, thumbs brushing over her short coat, one catching a single tear that managed to escape.

"You really are a dumb bunny, you know that?" He really couldn't believe she could manage to harbor any doubts whatsoever that he was dead set on having her in his life. If anything, he'd been questioning whether she'd really want the same... until today, that is.

Her ears slowly drew back, she was too focused on _what_ he was saying to catch the the light sarcastic edge in the words.

 _Too much, pal._ Tail stated, _Answer the damn question before you break our bunny._

Nick agreed, tipping his nose down, slowly bringing his forehead to rest against the doe's, eyes screaming every bit of emotion he could possibly convey to the waiting bunny, breath caught in her chest, the horribly incorrect thought that she'd done or said something wrong writhing behind those terribly hypnotizing violet irises.

"Do I really want _**you**_?"

He dropped his own voice to a whisper;

" _Yes, yes I do._ "

Dead set on eliminating any possibility of his answer falling short, he brought his muzzle back up to meet hers, it was slow and tender in contrast to the slight fervor from moments ago, it said one thing they both agreed on, desired more than either of them could ever say.

 _ **Don't you dare think I would**_ _ever_ _ **want anything less.**_

Lefty, Righty and Tail all asked the same question in unison.

 _Happy?_

Neither Nick nor Judy replied, they didn't need to. They were lost in the moment, refusing to let it end.

* * *

 ** _A/N MkII: So, not much to say that hasn't been said now. The time has come to begin introducing the players... Stay tuned!_**

 ** _Sincerely,  
_** ** _TOG._**


	5. Chapter 4: Sinister Salutations

**_A/N: Hey guys and gals! So, been a bit- February was the month from hell, but another installment is finally ready!_**

 ** _For anyone wondering when I'm actually going to give Jack and Skye some real 'screentime' so to speak, they'll be featured more from here on out..._**

 ** _They've been resting!_**

 ** _On vacation time!_**

 ** _I wasn't about to ruin that!_**

 ** _(\\_/)  
_** ** _(x,x)_**

 ** _As always, major thanks to GameBoy for his help and editing! This one was a lot of fun to write, and he had some excellent input on protocol and fire control, among other things._**

 _ **Ghostwolf88: Glad you enjoyed it! And yes, I noticed that pun. xD**_

 _ **Cimar: What can I say? I loves me some fluff! And thank**_ **you!** **=3**

 **Sadly, things can't remain fluffy forever, and it's high time for things to take off... Let's do this!**

 **Sincerely,  
TOG.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(b^,^)b**

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_  
 _ **Chapter 4**_

 _ **Sinister Salutations**_

* * *

A squirrel in a trenchcoat was seated in front of a computer, the screen showing a room containing a large water buffalo, grey wolf, russet fox, and a grey bunny. The wolf was pulling out empty folders as the buffalo spoke, the fox and bunny taking on increasingly uncomfortable looks as the exchange went on.

"I hope this is all worth it..."

The wolf had finished pulling folders, and turned his own monitor toward the other three mammals, displaying a similarly barren result.

"I am so very, very tired..." The squirrel muttered, his features were heavily worn and drawn, he looked like he hadn't groomed himself in weeks, his once proud, bushy tail was matted and clumped and he was growing emaciated from lack of food. He had plenty, he just couldn't stomach anything as of late.

He watched as the fox and bunny exchanged a glance before saluting and making their exit, the buffalo and wolf had a few more words before the wolf turned his monitor back around and the buffalo left.

"I can't keep this up any longer..."

The squirrel pulled a flash drive from the computer and made a quick series of keystrokes, running half a dozen prepared programs designed to render the equipment worthless in every sense. Just for good measure, he slapped a large, flat magnet to the board.

He palmed the small, oddly shaped storage device, donned a far too conspicuous purple fedora, and made to leave the hovel he'd been working out of for the most recent year of this ill advised act of revenge.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but I'm done... Penny wouldn't have wanted any of this."

The squirrel left the tiny building, shoulders slumped, head hanging in a shame he couldn't shake, knowing he was more than likely walking into a prison cell or an unmarked grave, depending on who found him first.

Who'd have thought tracking down a mole would be this difficult? I mean, sure, they're natural burrowers, operating under the radar... but even moles leave behind a tunnel to be discovered, one leading straight back to their originating tunnel.

This thought had been stuck in the minds of both agents all morning, they were getting frustrated at their lack of anything to show for all the digging they'd been doing, even having pushed more recent issues on the back burner in favor of putting all their efforts into narrowing it down to a pawful of primary suspects.

And then another thought occurred to the gray doe who was face down in a keyboard, causing her ears to snap up, whacking the the muzzle of the dozing russet fox she was currently seated on.

Nick nearly tipped the chair with the recoil from the abrupt wake-up call, "What is it?!"

"Nick? I know this is going to sound odd, and probably a little speciest, but... what if we're going about this from the wrong angle?"

Nick cocked a brow at the bunny as she turned to make sidelong eye contact, "...Go on?"

"What I mean is, we've been looking for anything from the rodent family, mice and squirrels, straight up to standard and large mammals, such as wolves, lions and what have you..." She furrowed her brow, continuing, "What's the one animal we haven't even given so much as a single thought?"

Nick ran through his mental checklist as quickly as he could, but he wasn't catching whatever it was she apparently had, so he shrugged.

"What if our mole, is _literally a_ _ **mole**_ _?_ "

Nick couldn't help but chuckle at the implications that suggestion brought to the table, but the fact she was dead serious in her statement was enough to keep him from bursting into laughter.

"...You're serious."

"I am."

"Well, I can't say we haven't seen or experienced anything more on the nose or ridiculous, so why not?" the fox conceded, after all, they couldn't rule out the possibility. If she was right, narrowing it down to a single genus _and_ subspecies would be a major advantage compared to where they were at right now.

"I won't say I don't find the idea funny- because it's _hilarious_ , but I'll back you on it, Fluff. We need a breakthrough or a miracle on this, we can't keep spinning our wheels."

"That's all I needed to hear." the bunny pulled out her phone and sent a message to director Bogo, before turning and booping the fox with her now twitching nose, tail flicking. The gesture getting his own tail swaying.

"C'mon Foxy, Bogo should meet us with Wolfard in a few minutes." she said as she hopped to the floor and pulled the tod along by his tie, something she seemed to take great delight in doing when she didn't want to wait for him to get moving.

 _As if she actually needs to encourage us to follow._ Tail commented, _She knows we wouldn't hesitate to leap off a bridge if that's where she was going._ he finished with a chuckle.

 _Yeah, she probably does..._ Nick agreed, _but I kinda like the whole excited game of 'grab the tie'._

 _You're just waiting for her to grab it by the knot so you can make a joke about it, aren't you?_

 _Absolutely, one hundred percent._

Nick couldn't internalize the snorting chuckle following that thought, bringing the doe to a sudden halt while his muzzle was contorting into a toothy grin.

"And what's so funny now, Slick?" she asked, glancing back with her arms crossed, coy smile on her face.

Nick, currently too preoccupied to form a cohesive statement, simply said, "Knots."

Judy's face went from coy, to blank, to some strange look Nick couldn't describe, one side of her mouth drawing up and out, as her eyes seemed to gaze through him, into the distance... her ears changing shades of red by the moment.

 _Don't say it._ she preemptively scolded Righty.

 _I didn't! ...He did!_ Righty replied gleefully.

 _Here we go again._ Lefty commented.

Nick caught a whiff of that strangely sweet scent again, though now he was well aware of its origin.

 _Whoops..._ he thought, _I think that might not have been the best choice of words._

 _Word._ Tail stated.

 _...What?_

 _Word, choice of word, as in singular._

 _Oh, thought you were using slang or something._

 _Moi? Use slang?_ Tail asked incredulously, _Please, I am far too sophisticated to do so..._

 _Uh-huh._ Nick replied, unimpressed, he knew there was more.

 _Now,_ Tail continued, _say something else_ _ **knotty**_ _and see how she reacts!_ he finished, cackling.

 _You're terrible._ Nick stated with a mental grin, _That's for_ _ **after**_ _we call it a day._

 _That's the spirit! Now you're thinking with Carrots on the brain!_

Nick's eye twitched, he hadn't truly considered just how deeply that fuzzy gray missile had burrowed into his psyche- whether she knew it herself or not, and he took on a similar look to that of his bunny, they both looked... mortified? It was nearly impossible to describe, but the one mammal that passed by them was more than a little perturbed by the mirror image they formed.

After a few moments locked in place, they managed to snap out of the trance and make their way to the small gym in the lower levels of the building, it wasn't exactly what most would consider _secure_ , but it was lacking several key items that nearly every other room held, short of the restrooms.

Cameras, audio feed and generally mammals this early in the afternoon. Not exactly the best place to discuss anything sensitive, but it was technically more secure than the rest of the ZBI when taking into account the tactics that had already been employed heavily by the saboteur.

Judy's nose crinkled up as the door swung in, it wasn't that they didn't keep the facility clean, it was just difficult to completely remove years of pheromones and sweat soaking into the room.

"Yeah... that's why I don't do my lifting here, too many smells." Wolfard's voice came across the room, he was lounging on one of the benches, heavy bar being used as an impromptu back rest.

Judy couldn't hold back the small cough that crept up her throat, her sense of smell was about as impressive as any small herbivore's, she couldn't imagine the torture a canine's nose was exposed to in this dense a reek, she could practically TASTE the horrid cocktail of mammal stank.

Glancing over, she was met with a small red kerchief, one she could only assume Nick had marked, as it was strong enough to drown out the vicious odor, he handed her a second, white this time, with one raised brow, she didn't need to ask. She rubbed the item under her chin before handing it back, getting a wink from said fox, who was all too glad to have a pleasant scent to replace the cavalcade of nastiness.

Bogo and Wolfard simply exchanged an all too knowing glance, brushing off the exchange so as to leave the pair with some semblance of professionalism, Bogo opted to clear his throat to get their attention.

"Oh! Right..." Judy responded somewhat bashfully, "I think we might have a way to narrow down our list of suspects, sir."

Bogo gave a grunt, Judy hadn't been around the buffalo long enough to know that was as close to 'proceed' as he generally gave, short of extreme circumstances. Nick started for her.

"Agent Hopps made a very interesting observation today, sir." the fox stated before nodding at the doe, who took the pass and continued.

"I know how this is going to sound, sir... but have there been any Moles here in the past?"

Bogo raised a brow with a somewhat confused look before responding, "Yes, Hopps. That much was in our initial discussion, that's the entire purpose of your current investigation."

Nick couldn't help but snicker at the buffalo's response, he was just as bewildered as the fox himself, initially. Judy gave the fox a jab in the arm before continuing, all that did was turn the snicker into a laugh.

"I mean a literal _mole_ , sir. Eulipotyphla Talpidae."

Wolfard couldn't help but laugh at the statement, "You've got to be kidding... you're saying our mole is exactly that, in both form _and_ function?" after coughing from inhaling the caustic scent on a particularly hard inhale between laughs, he added, "Oh, that is _rich_ , if that's true, I'll buy you two coffee for a YEAR."  
It wasn't that the idea was so absurd to the wolf that it wasn't possible, it was simply far too contrived, as if there were some odd mammal out their writing some sort of goofy story and had a penchant for on-the-nose humor.

* * *

Miles away, a small black wolf sat bolt upright in his chair, he wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he felt the fur on his scruff stand on end. "Oh no... they _know_..." he immediately began typing in the hopes of preventing the mammals at hand from becoming too knowledgeable of what he'd been doing, pulling at their strings like a demented puppet master.

* * *

Wolfard gagged slightly, eyes drifting in opposite directions momentarily, something that the other three didn't miss.

Nick cocked his head to the side, "You okay, Scruffy?"

"What?" Wolfard replied, eyes snapping back, looking quite unfazed by the brief lapse in, well, _function_.

"You looked a little- a _lot_ out of it for a sec there."

Wolfard gave the fox a look that said 'You sure _you're_ okay?' before turning back to the doe expectantly.

Bogo made a mental note to send Wolfard to medical for an evaluation before he brought a hoof to the bridge of his nose, "Okay, Hopps... I'm going to give this the benefit of the doubt, for one reason, and one reason only, on the condition you answer one simple question."

Judy beamed at that, watching as Bogo continued, "What, exactly, brought you around to such an... odd, conclusion?"

Judy could only shrug, she didn't _really_ have an exact answer for that, "It just sort of... clicked?"

Letting out a sigh, the buffalo took on a very grim expression- more so than usual, that is.

"To answer your own inquiry, Hopps. Yes."

Judy's smile grew, "He died in action, Hopps." and just as quickly fell.

"... _ **Officially**_." Bogo added, looking quite annoyed now.

Nick's curiosity was piqued, " _Officially_ , sir?"

"Meaning we never recovered a body."

Judy's smile came back slightly, "So there's a possibility that he's not actually dead."

Bogo let out another grunt, "I wouldn't stake my career on it, but yes."

Nick chimed in with a very smug grin settling into place, "And I'm willing to bet his records are also nowhere to be found."

Bogo's eyes flashed at the fox, "...That would be correct... they were gone before we had a chance to destroy the hard copies." the buffalo stated with a growing unease, he didn't like where this conversation was going. A rogue agent was one thing, but one with as intimate a working knowledge as this particular mammal would have would be-

"Wolfard?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Call in the Old Dogs. I need to have a word with them."

"Yes, sir." Wolfard was all too happy to make his escape from the stench-ridden room, and made to leave for his office, he had a cell phone, but he also now had an excuse to leave the gym. He stopped dead when his ears caught a tiny voice coming from the ceiling, Judy's ears immediately locked on to one of the near useless vents, Nick, Wolfard and Bogo followed her line of sight to the vent in question.

 _Bingo._ Lefty stated, as Righty also swiveled toward the source of the voice.

" _That won't be necessary, Chief._ " The voice said.

The vent all four mammals were currently staring at swung down on its hinges with a squeak, and a very disheveled looking squirrel dropped unceremoniously from the opening, his coat was ripped in several places, bloodstains adorning various portions of his attire, most notably, his fedora, which was actively dripping blood. One of his ears was missing, though how it was removed wasn't clear.

Judy was the first to the tiny mammal, carefully lifting the maimed creature off the floor.

Nick and Wolfard continued staring, both extremely confused, and wondering what the hell was going on.  
Bogo, on the other hand, recognized him even in his current state... this squirrel had been MIA for years, he was an intelligence expert from Bogo's early career, when he was simply the Chief Coordinator for agents being dispatched for field work. This squirrel was supposed to be dead, then again, so was a certain mole.

"Secret?" Bogo asked, currently incapable of believing his eyes.

"The one and only, Chief!" The squirrel piped up, attempting a salute before crumpling into a heap in the doe's paws.

Bogo glanced around the room, he was currently questioning why all the crazy happens when Wilde was around, but couldn't discount the fact that since the bunny came into play, said crazy made a leap to unbelievable.

"Wolfard? Medic, now. Make sure they know it's Micro-fauna."

The wolf didn't need to be asked twice, he was already making the call.

"As much as I'd like to question you now, Secret... I doubt I'll get much out of you when you go into shock, or pass out." Bogo stated, still taken aback, a very rare occurrence for the buffalo, at least genuinely so.

"I'm fine, Chief! and I know where you can find Mo-" The squirrel never finished his sentence, trying to stand again resulted in the already hemorrhaging mammal to finally drop.

Judy was staring at the squirrel in her paws, he looked like death warmed over, there was no telling just how much physical abuse he'd endured before arriving here, they were all trained in emergency aid, tourniquets and whatnot, but the only surefire thing Judy could surmise with a mammal this small, was he was likely closer to death than she had been herself just months ago, his breathing was shallow, he was steadily bleeding, and she couldn't apply pressure to any of the wounds without doing further damage to the poor creature due to his size... and he was cold as ice. That was at least one thing she _could_ do something about, clutching the bloody clump of fur to her chest, she just stared up at the other mammals for a moment, eyes begging for something to help.

"Who is this, sir?" She asked, eyes shifting to the door as she started toward it, the others close behind, she could at least cut the distance for the emergency dispatch to cover, being quite small themselves.

"He's... an old agent, one that's been sorely missed for quite some time."

"He was calling you 'Chief'." Nick pointed out.

"A _VERY_ old agent, by average life expectancy." The buffalo said with an annoyed tone.

Naturally, Nick very much wanted to press the buffalo further on the matter, but it was currently serious time, and even Nicholas wasn't about to start joking excessively when there was a mammal dying in the vicinity.

"And what," Nick began instead, "were the exact circumstances of his disappearance?"

"After he's stable, Wilde." Bogo deflected the question, he wasn't in the mood to discuss anything right this minute, he may be seasoned, both in the field and out, but even he wasn't accustomed to mammals effectively returning from the grave.

Judy was every bit as curious as Nick, but she was a bit preoccupied herself at the moment, her ears picking up the sound of several very small vehicles coming from down the hall, thankfully the building's accommodations included a vehicular dispatch for their emergency services, being designed with Mega-fauna in mind.

The tiny ambulance came to a screeching halt in front of the five of them, out came a stretcher, which Judy gingerly placed the squirrel on, the ambulance was shortly followed by a literal, portable operating room, contained within a sterile, semi-soundproofed, plastic cube. The first responders had already stripped the squirrel and started running IV's to keep him from dying on the spot.

It was a strange scene to witness, watching the process from above on such a small scale. The damage to the mammal now clear, the majority of it was hidden under his coat, though they'd have to wait for the post-op to find out exactly what had been done to him, he looked a sight worse than Judy and Nick combined when they'd been hospitalized.

"Does this count as 'stable', sir?"

Bogo let out a sigh, "Not now, Wilde."

 _Something big happened..._ Tail mused, Nick had to agree.

 _Clearly, but what would keep Buffalo Butt quiet?_

 _Your guess is as good as mine, pal._

"Is he... missing his teeth?" Judy quietly chimed in, drawing attention back to Secret, who was currently under full anesthesia, they'd begun spreading and cleaning the wounds, one by one, enough to inspect for any visible internal damage before closing them. Sure enough, looking more closely they could see- or rather _couldn't_ see the small buck-teeth that should have been visible in the squirrel's slack jaw under the mask strapped to his head.

 _That's just sick._ Judy thought, she couldn't imagine losing her own.

 _His mouth isn't bleeding though..._ Lefty commented.

 _If someone just ripped them out as a form of torture, shouldn't it be bleeding?_ Righty added.

"Fluff?" Her eyes were pulled over to the fox currently reaching toward her, she went cross-eyed as his paw went to her shirt collar, plucking a tiny white object from her chest. "I think you've got them..."

He held up a small set of prosthetic teeth, with what looked like the male side of a USB drive where they would normally end in a bony point.

"What...?" Judy was still processing the idea that the tiny mammal was coherent enough to pop out the prosthesis and lodge it in her shirt when he was literally knocking on death's door.

Wolfard's curiosity was clearly apparent, as he tentatively sniffed at the object before snatching it from the fox. "No way..."

Wolfard immediately bolted for his office, Bogo just called after him as quietly as he could, so as not to disturb the operation currently taking place. "Bring it back before you go digging, Ralph!"  
The wolf just gave the buffalo a 'thumbs-up' as he rounded the corner.

"What's he rushing off for?" Judy questioned.

"Adapters." Nick replied plainly, "I swear, that wolf _lives_ for tech and information... for him, that drive must be like a gold nugget to a prospector." he added.

They returned their attention to the operation once more, Judy couldn't help but ask the obvious question, "Think he's gonna make it?"

"I'd hope so, Hopps. He's likely got more information than just what's on that drive, and I've got questions only he'd be able to answer." Bogo replied, concern flashing in the buffalo's eyes as he spoke, "Where he's been all these years aside, the fact he was moving through the facility undetected tells me he's either our hacker, or the one making physical entries to Wolfard's office... possibly both, and I want to know where his point of entry is, at the very least."

Nick could tell there was still more the director wasn't telling, but he also knew he wasn't going to get an answer right now.

They continued operating for what felt like hours, and must have been as it was well into the afternoon before the surgeon, a mouse, came out, pulling off her mask to fill the director in on the extent of the damage.

She was wearing red scrubs, though not simply because they wouldn't show stains from blood, an ID clipped to her chest pocket simply reading 'Elizabeth'. She spoke with both gentility and an air of authority, "He's got several broken ribs, lacerations to his liver, a mild concussion, multiple 2nd and 3rd degree burns... his ear appears to have been removed with surgical equipment, my guess would be a simple scalpel. This was personal, whoever did this wanted him found, and they wanted it to be fresh." She stated, adding, "And they knew how much they could do without killing him, he's at least had a heavy anticoagulant administered, which is why none of the wounds had stopped bleeding before he got here. He's going to be under until we're sure he's _not_ going to die on us."

Bogo nodded, he'd expected it was foul play, but he wasn't expecting it to be quite that bad. "I'm a bit surprised he was even coherent when we found him- or he found us, as it were."

Elizabeth frowned at that statement, "They must have given him something to keep him moving before they let him loose, he shouldn't have been able to form a clear sentence in his state." she crossed her arms, adding, "I'll ask Jonathan to run a tox screen, he might have more issues than just physical, after this." she finished with a sad glance back to the nearly mummified squirrel.

"Let me know as soon as I can speak with him, will you?"

"Will do, but don't get your hopes up on it being any time soon." the mouse replied as she turned to take her leave, mumbling, "I need a coffee..." as she pulled out the phone currently ringing in her pocket, "Brisby!" she chimed in a more cheerful tone than she was feeling, rounding the corner as her voice receded with her.

"I swear this is the month from hell." Bogo groaned as he too, stepped away while the squirrel was toted off to the medical ward, Operating Room and all.

"Anything we can do in the meantime?" Nick asked after the director.

"Not until Wolfard gets what he needs and brings me whatever is on that drive." Bogo pressed the call button on the elevator just down the hall, "Go home for now, and watch your tails... this is only going to be the start of things." he looked like he'd aged several years as he looked back at them, adding, "Don't leave without at least a standard sidearm and a vest."

Judy raised an eyebrow at the order, "You really think they'd just attack a ZBI agent in broad daylight, sir?"

"They already have, Hopps." Bogo replied in a tired tone as he vanished behind the doors. "You'll be notified as soon as Wolfard gets back to me, that thing's probably locked down tighter than Fort-Ox, given he hasn't already."

Judy and Nick stood there for a moment, eyes meeting with dozens of questions shooting between them, Nick didn't bother to stop his tail from wrapping around the doe as they made a slow trail to the armory, they weren't anticipating an attack on their way to the penthouse, but they weren't about to risk being wrong.

They made their stop at the armory, Nick picking up his Akita 9mm, Judy retrieving her twin customs, they didn't bother with extra clips, as they were only taking the weaponry as a precaution. That business sorted, vests firmly strapped down under their work attire, they left the building. As they made their way to the fox's convertible, he made to unlock the vehicle remotely... That's when they were brought to a very real, and very extreme awakening upon approaching said vehicle outside, he never did like parking in that garage, to many assault vehicles being poorly parked, it always worried him they'd damage his precious red baby.

The usual 'chirp' he received came out almost as a gurgle, like the battery was going, and it wasn't stopping.

 _That can't be good... need to get it serviced, I guess._ he thought, Judy on the other hand, heard something familiar under the odd sound and grabbed the fox by his tail, Nick let out a pained yelp as he was forcefully pulled back by the doe.

 _OW!_ Tail keened, _What was that for?!_

"What's the deal, Fluff!? That thing's sensitive!" Nick all but barked, very confused as to the sudden physical outburst from his partner, who had taken a low vigil atop the toppled tod.

 _...Am I just hearing things?_ the doe wondered as her eyes came up in apology to her fox.

 _After today, I'd say no... but I'm not hearing a kaboom, either._ Lefty stated.

"Sorry, Slick... I thought I heard a-" The doe's apology was cut short as the aforementioned kaboom came, shaking them to their respective cores.

"...Bomb." She finished, volume and tone going low and shocked.

Nick's convertible had erupted in a glorious, blazing inferno, leaving shredded, melting metal and fiberglass in its place.

The fox watched in horror as his beloved vehicle burned in front of him, had he been able to find his voice, he'd have been a screaming mess. As it was, his jaw simply hung slack as his eyes drifted from the burning wreck to the doe currently staring at him wide-eyed, she was currently frozen in place and couldn't turn around to see the spectacular mess of a once-vehicle.

"...Thanks." Nick finally managed to voice after working his jaw a bit.

"Don't mention it..." the doe said with the shocked look still in her eyes, "Also, WHAT THE ****?!"

Nick's jaw dropped again as the doe used a very fine four letter word he'd never heard her utter before, usually she just rattled off vegetables or some such.

"I know we've got a psycho watching us, but a _BOMB_?!" she screeched out the last word.  
 _****ING UNDERHANDED **** SUCKING ******S!_ Righty screamed, writhing in fury.

"...A little extreme, yes." Nick replied, sounding far too calm for the doe's taste just then, "Did you just-"

"YES!" she squeaked out, "I'm a little flustered at the moment!" a bit of an understatement, she was well beyond simply 'flustered'. "They tried to blow you up!"  
Righty was all but frothing at the proverbial mouth, Lefty letting out a very uncharacteristic growl that was far more predatory than any herbivore should ever emit, both of them having flared out to the sides, twitching with unchecked rage.

"It would seem that way." came the tod's still calm response.

"How are you not freaking out right now?!"

Nick's eyes flicked to the wreck, then back to his bunny, "Oh, I am. I'm just having a hard time expressing it at the moment." inside, he was a roiling combination of curses, panic and shock... Tail was far more vocal in his response.

 _THEY BLEW IT UP!_ Tail bellowed in melodramatic fashion, _THOSE MANIACS ACTUALLY BLEW IT UP!_

What if he hadn't bothered using the key-fob to unlock the car?  
 _I LOVED THAT CAR!_

What if there was a secondary trigger besides the remote locks?  
 _THOSE SEATS WERE COMFY, DAMMIT!_ Tail howled into the mix.

What if they'd gotten inside and tried to start it?

 _...What if Judy had skipped ahead of us like she usually does?_ Tail added to the list with something between a keen and growl.  
This thought hit him the hardest, if this had been on any other day, the last he would have seen of her would be that terribly warm smile being engulfed in flames, he would have lost the one thing that he'd genuinely cared about since he was a kit. And unlike the loss of his mother, he doubted he'd ever come back from it, at least in any functional aspect of 'living'... he'd have a hard time calling it anything more than simply 'existing' at that point.

"Judy?" the fox said as his tail and arms wrapped around the doe as if his life depended on it. Hell, at this point it _did_.

As with their exchange in the complex, her real name immediately grounded the doe, wiping away the panic that had started to set in when her mind started looping the image of her fox being consumed by the flames.

"Arm's reach, from here on out... please?" he asked in a whisper.

Judy just nodded into his chest, they couldn't bring themselves to move.

The explosion had drawn the director himself out to the scene, he got a good, clear view from his window, and he was going to collect his agents himself. Just as the fire department pulled up to the scene.

"Wilde, Hopps. Inside, _now._ " he said, adding in a gruff holler "And take the back entrance!" before the media screeched onto the scene, hungry for a story.

Nick gladly made his escape, keeping Judy held to his chest, blocking the doe from sight. He was beyond grateful the buffalo had come himself, Bogo was well practiced with news stations and their insatiable desire to twist even so much as a simple 'good morning' into a murder threat to meet their twisted ends for a juicy story, it was one of the reasons he'd been given the position, he could diffuse a situation with an astounding flare. The fiery wreck would be plenty enough for the media vultures as it was, and they were going to be far more prevalent in the area with it being this close to the ZBI building. If they'd been able to find out this was an attack against one of his odd pairs in the bureau, the two would be hounded to no end, and their investigation would be brought to a grating halt.

The mammals dedicated to preventing a PR freakshow had been hot on his trail, and immediately began handling the mass of reporters and camera crews that had converged on the scene, in part to allow the swarmed firemammals to do their job and control the blaze, giving the buffalo a very brief respite to prepare a public statement that would minimize the potential for mass hysteria.

The director glared at what was once a car, visage growing darker by the moment while the fire department cordoned off a safe zone around the fire, unfortunately all they could do now was let it burn itself out.

He woke up with a headache that morning, now he knew why.

Nick plopped into his office chair, Judy still clutched tightly in his arms, both of them gazing at their reflection in the computer screen.

 _...We could always go the traditional route,_ Lefty mused into the silence, _just shoot 'em._

 _What are you talking about?_ Judy replied, eyes still blankly locked on the stretched reflection in the monitor.

 _Revenge, naturally._ Left stated, as if it were obvious, _Nah, that's not good enough..._

 _Would you just stop?_ the doe asked, not in the mood for this.

 _Dip 'em feet first in acid?_

 _Quit it._ the doe reiterated.

 _You're right, not personal enough... we could skin 'em?_

 _NO! Also, gross._ Judy replied with an internal gag.

 _...Strangle them?_ Lefty posed.

 _...I'll think about it._

 _With our FEET._

 _Okay, really... just stop._

 _You're right._ Lefty conceded, _Why strangle them when we can just beat them to death!?_ she added, tone well beyond murderous.

 _ENOUGH! We've got an issue here!_ Judy fumed at the vibrating appendage.

Nick had finally moved, his eyes having been focused on the doe's in the warped reflection in front of them, his knees came up, pressing the doe into his chest. Judy could see what was behind the controlled, nearly emotionless expression he'd plastered on, she didn't like what she saw.

"Nick?"

"Mhmm?"

"You okay?"

He just nodded, muzzle brushing between her ears, he was far from it, but he wasn't about to break in front of his bunny, if he could help it. In this particular case, he couldn't.

 _We could've lost her..._ was the prevailing thought as his eyes began to glaze over.

"...Nick."

 _She'd be dead, and we'd be alone again._

Tail wrapped up around them both, so far as he could reach.

"I'm fine, Nick... we're fine." Judy was trying to cut off the inevitable storm she could see brewing behind his eyes. She had no clue what he'd witnessed all those years ago, and neither of them knew the true extent of the damage the scene had caused, much less the years of burying it so deeply.

His grip just tightened.

 _I don't want to be alone anymore._

She went cross-eyed as a wet drop hit her square on the nose.

His ears drew back.

"Nick."

His claws began extending, grip becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"NICK!" Judy squeaked, alongside the scent of fresh blood it finally snapped the fox out of his spiral.

He reflexively jerked away.

 _Did I...?_ he began while the doe pressed a paw to her arm, it wasn't deep, but he'd drawn blood. The fox's eyes went wide, flicking between his paws and the bunny before he leaned too far and tipped the chair back, slamming into the ground.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

Judy finally got the opening she was looking for, she flipped over and grabbed his muzzle in her paws, abruptly ending the apology and forcing him to look her in the eye.

"Calm down... it's okay." she wasn't angry, she wasn't scared, she was concerned. Strangely that only made it feel worse for Nick, he'd rather have her screaming at him than to see those eyes looking at him so sadly.

She ran her chin over his muzzle, once on each side, the mingling scents doing their job, calming the fox. "Think I'm mad, Slick?" she asked softly, eyes going warm, getting a tiny smile from him.

She could hear his heart slowing to its usual steady thrum, "It's just a little prick, nothing serious."

Tail immediately followed up, _That's what she'll say if she ever sees you naked!_

 _Cheeky little..._ Nick thought, the wisecrack finishing off the dark spiral he'd begun, _You KNOW that's a lie._

Tail just chuckled, even Nick wasn't in on the silent 'thank you' going toward the doe. Being inside the fox's head in a literal sense, he'd never been able to break him out of those panicked moments when he was a kit.

 _Think he's gonna tell us what's really wrong?_ Righty asked, finally finished with her fit of rage.

 _I hope so, we can't have him snapping when we're in a tight situation..._ Judy replied, adding, _any more than_ **he** _can with_ **us**.

 _He'll talk._ Lefty stated firmly, _he gave his word._

They picked up the chair and returned to their sitting position, Nick wanted to get her arm looked at, but she just wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone right now, and she wasn't about to leave him alone after that.

They'd be sleeping on a cot tonight, Bogo was insistent that they remain on site until he got confirmation from dispatch that their place had been fully inspected by their I.E.D. boys, and they'd had a chance to give the place a good sniff.

Jack and Skye weren't much better off, having received a similarly vicious 'hello' this afternoon, though theirs was a strange spring-loaded mechanism in their shower, it had been set to smash the smoked glass door, flinging sizeable shards everywhere, thankfully not doing any serious damage, both sporting a few fresh cuts along their extremities and cores. They'd bandaged what they needed to, grabbed their bug-out-bag and made for the bureau. They would soon come to learn that the twisted mind behind the macabre device was the same that had planted a bomb that morning in a cherry red convertible and arranged for a once-friend-turned-maimed squirrel to be brutalized. They weren't the only agents targeted today.

* * *

 _ **A/N-MkII: Things are heating up, literally. Who's behind the attacks? Are they in cahoots with the wolf? WHO ATE THE LAST COOKIE!? WHY AM I ASKING YOU ALL THESE QUESTIONS?!**_

 _ **Spoiler Warning:**_

 _ **There are no spoilers!**_

 **|)_/)  
(^o^)/**


	6. Chapter 5: Rivalry Revisited

**_A/N: Sorry for the wait... Life, work and technical difficulties delayed all my current projects heavily._**

 ** _As always, big thanks to GameBoy for his assistance and editing!_**

 ** _Wildehopper: Glad you're enjoying it, and the reviews are appreciated! ...NOW GIMME THE COOKIE! \\(,)/_**

 ** _Cimar: The bomb was likely planted well before then, however... I can't spoil the specifics. Glad you're still enjoying it!_**

 ** _Alrighty, enough of my insanity, IT'S TIME FOR EXPOSITION! (Not really, more shenanigans and the other side of the attacks.)_**

 ** _/)_/)  
(b^,^)b  
_**

* * *

 ** _Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills_**

 ** _Chapter 5  
Rivalry Revisited_**

* * *

Jack and Skye were lounging on a wood-framed sofa in their den, it was a fairly large apartment at the top floor of a high-rise in the more upscale end of Tundratown, they'd had the forethought to hire a monthly cleaning service while they were away, and didn't need to do much of anything on their return. They had spent the last few days just enjoying their well-earned time off, as well as the ability to openly enjoy one another, their cover had been a bit restrictive in that regard, having spent a good deal of time in a crowded office building, if one could call it that, there wasn't really anywhere they could go for significant private time.

"Think they've made any headway?" the vixen asked with a yawn, "It's been complete radio silence since we met them in the park."

The buck considered things for a moment before answering, drumming a single short claw on the arm rest, it was sharper than the average bunny's, though not nearly so much as what one would find on their feet, "Hard to say... Nick was pretty worked up though, his heart was going berserk."

"Smelled like a flat out panic attack to me." the vixen replied, stretching.

"You hear about his little 'bunny hunny'?" Jack inquired.

"Hopps? She's got a history, that's for sure... good with a knife, too."

Jack's ears flicked, brow raising at the statement from his mate, "And how would you know that, exactly?"

"It was before we started _working together_ , dear. Remember that story I told you about 'Purple Eyes'?" Skye asked wistfully, stroking over the scar hidden under the heavy coat on her tail.

"You've got to be joking... that was _Hopps_?" If Jack were recalling the right story, it was when Skye had encountered a particularly vicious counter agent on one of her first solo cases.

* * *

Skye Winter was standing on the deck of a massive oil tanker across from a grey doe with violet eyes glaring into her own icy blue, an insane grin adorning both faces.

"You're good, bunny girl... but you're not stopping me now."

The doe let out a light chuckle, flicking a short tactical knife with a dull claw, the blade letting out an eerie ring that hung in the air. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing."

Both females took off at a full sprint, Skye brandishing her odd weapon of choice for close quarters, it was a strange thing, it resembled a piece of hardened piano wire, it was light, whippy, and sharp as a razor. It lent itself quite well to her style, and it was very easily concealed.

If the doe were being honest, she would tell you she was flat out jealous, she wasn't without her own grace and finesse, but this vixen literally danced with the odd weapon in her paw.

She used her tail like a veil, obscuring her angle of attack until the very last moment, this was also enough for a seasoned fighter to read the telegraph of where she was headed with the wiry 'blade'. The doe was impressed with the tactic, but she'd been in enough rough fights to take advantage of it, after a few minutes of back and forth between the two, she caught the vixen's tail with the tip of her knife, blood spraying across her face as her adversary let out a painful, screeching yip.

Satisfied she'd made her point, she took a short leap back, giving the fox a little space and time to consider a proper retreat. She made one mistake.

"Good night." was the last thing the bunny heard as she noticed blood pooling at a pinhole in her shoulder, the same one a certain fennec fox had darted a long time ago.

"Aw... carrot sticks. Really?!" the doe growled as her eyes rolled back and she hit the deck, literally.

Skye wiped the weapon before running it through a very interesting salve, it was a heavy duty tranquilizer, just tacky enough to cling to the weapon, but not so much as to not dissolve on contact with blood. It wouldn't take down large mammals without more punctures, and much deeper at that. A bunny, on the other hand, didn't stand much chance at this concentration.

"Now... do I kill you, or not?" Skye mused aloud, crouching over the doe, "You _did_ cut my lovely tail." she said with both annoyance and a professional's respect. She let out a sigh, "You're too damn good to waste."

Rocking on her haunches a bit, Skye made up her mind, she tossed the doe into one of the life-boats along with one of her burner phones before casting it off, if nothing else, she should be able to play up the 'frightened tourist gone shipwrecked' card if she were smart enough, and Skye got the feeling she was, having hidden her identity and motives from the vixen far longer than Skye could have ever anticipated.

She felt a sting in her thigh and whipped back around to find a very smug, wet doe begin huffing behind her, she was holding an epi-pen.

"Nice try, Foxy."

Skye's eyes went from the doe to the small watercraft drifting lazily away, to the pen, to where the doe pointed a claw- there was a similar injection lying where she'd originally picked up the bunny, and back to the doe.

"Adrenaline, not exactly a safe dose for a small mammal, but enough to counteract your nasty knitting needle." the smug look grew as the doe added. "Bunny, fast metabolism, hard to tranq for extended periods to begin with."

"You crafty little... I was giving you an out!" The vixen began, icy eyes glazing over, "Well played, Bunny. Just make it quick, and try not to stain my coat any further." Skye went to all-fours, knowing she would hit the ground soon enough, she made to minimize the resulting impact.

"Don't worry, I'll return the favor." Judy murmured, dragging the vixen along by her tail, she took her through the ventilation shafts, dropping the vixen off in one of the lockers deep inside the vessel. "I won't kill you..."

 _You sure this is a good idea?_ an odd but familiar voice asked.

 _She'll be fine, and I'm sick of this boat,_ Judy replied, _I'm going someplace I can rest a bit before the next job rolls along._

 _We didn't technically finish this one._

 _Yes, I did. I 'Took care of the interloper'._ the doe stated, _They never said how they wanted it done, they never even said they wanted her_ _ **gone**_ _, therefore my job is done. She's been 'Taken care of.'_

 _...This is why you wanted the pay up front, isn't it?_

 _Of course. I'm not killing anyone unless it's my only option, besides, if she's as smart as she seems, she'll have already notified the bureau and they're on the way with a full task force._

Sure enough, there was a ruckus already ringing out through the ventilation shafts.

 _That's my queue..._ the doe thought, before she bolted for her stashed belongings near the furnace powering the antiquated ship, she quickly threw all identification in alongside her current attire, popped in colored contact lenses, tore and dirtied a set of civilian clothing, as well as smearing her fur with ash and char for good measure. She pulled out a large, oddly heavy, stuffed animal- one that made her seem smaller by comparison, with a smile before putting on her act, hearing heavy hooves smashing into the metal floors outside the cramped room.

 _Prime the water works, aaaaand... ACTION!_ the voice called enthusiastically.

Fun fact about even trained mammals and smaller species, they weren't great at determining age based on size, as far as the strike team was concerned, the doe was just some terrified, crying, blue eyed kit, curled into a ball with her stuffed toy, begging for it all to stop, to go home to the countryside.

That same 'Kit' vanished from the infirmary, leaving behind nothing but the dirty clothing she'd been found in, and the husk of a previously stuffed toy.

Not one mammal took notice of the brown eyed bunny strolling toward the nearest jetport, small pack over her shoulder, complete with a new identity, and a new life waiting to be assumed.

* * *

"She could've killed me that day," Skye thought aloud, "can you imagine?"

Jack chuckled at that, "Never would've been put on our first case together." the buck stated, deciding he'd had enough of lazing about for the day, he dropped off the sofa and made for the bathroom, intent on taking a nice long shower, stopping at the door just long enough for Skye to roll to her side, tail swaying, eyes flashing in the dim room.

The buck casually tossed his shirt into the hall, a clear invitation for the vixen, who all too readily accepted, shedding her own garments as she did a perfect 'catwalk' to the door, leaning into the frame as he pulled towels out of the cubby in the wall.

That's when their otherwise quiet day went to hell, and their recent period of peace shattered in an ear-splitting, crashing storm of glass.

Jack instinctively jumped back, though as quickly as the event played out, it felt like it was taking place in a timewarp, everything moving as if through molasses.

He heard a click, the sound of gears releasing cables buzzing rapidly in his ears before the resulting impact that rolled through him like a clap of thunder as the shower's smoked glass doors were blown to bits.

Skye's ears rolled back, eyes screwing shut as several larger shards grazed her torso, one slicing dangerously close to her eyes, leaving a shallow cut across the bridge of her muzzle, a few smaller shards embedding themselves into her legs and outstretched paws.

Jack's leap sent him flying into the vixen, he took the majority of the damage, being next to the shower doors as it went off, as well as being dead-center in the impact zone, he had a couple larger shards hit him in the chest, several more evaded his form completely, only to be caught by the vixen in the doorway, yet more lightly peppered his ears and limbs. When all was said and done, the two were on the floor, looking far worse than they felt, staring at the shower as a large beveled panel was jolting with the residual energy of the release.

 _'click click click...'_

"You okay?" Skye asked as she pulled her eyes away from the device to look at her mate, he was pulling one of the shards from his chest with a groan while he looked her over, it was shallow, stopping quickly in the bone, but it looked painful.

"Yeah... you?"

Skye nodded, flicking away one of the pieces that had caught on her paw. "Hold still." she quickly plucked out all the pieces she could see before Jack did the same for her.

They weren't hot on the idea, but they weren't about to run around covered in blood. After brushing the glass on the floor aside, they turned the shower on full blast, and rinsed out what they could before throwing styptic into a blender in the kitchen, throwing the dense powder onto the floor, rolling in it after they'd painfully toweled off. It wasn't great, but it'd stem the bleeding for the smaller wounds.

They went about bandaging the rest, Skye wrapping the buck's first, as he simply had less area to cover, once he'd done the same for the vixen, they threw on the first thing they saw in the closet, pulling a fake panel loose to retrieve two prepared packs and a large duffel bag containing some basic necessities, a more significant means of first-aid and a modest assortment of weaponry.

They were ready in minutes, and paused only briefly at the door, the buck looking forlornly back into the apartment.

"What is it?" the vixen asked, clearly ready to leave.

"We've got laundry in the wash." Jack stated, as if it were obvious.

"Jack. It'll be fine, we'll take care of it later."

"What if we don't come back soon enough? It'll get that nasty mildew-y smell!"

Skye's nose scrunched up at the statement, she **_hated_** that smell...

"They'll grow MOLD, Skye." The buck insisted.

"We'll just replace them, Jack. Now's not the time."

Jack was clearly torn, he desperately wanted to argue that they take care of it now, but he knew the look in her eyes, he wasn't winning this one.

He took a deep, steadying breath followed by a slow exhale as his eyes pinched shut, "Okay, you're right." he conceded with a glance toward the laundry room, a lone tear rolling down his cheek which was quickly flicked away. "No... no tears." he whispered, steeling himself against the thoughts of a very nasty load of laundry awaiting them if they didn't return in time.

* * *

Nick and Judy gave a brief statement to Bogo, he didn't need much, having witnessed the end result himself. After grabbing some snacks and drinks in the small cafeteria on the ground floor- post media mayhem, they settled down in their office, and quietly ate, at least until there was a rapid knock at the door, Nick knew who it was just by the profiles in the textured window, two round ear tips poking just above the frame, a clearly vulpine outline next to them.

"It's open, Fuzzball." he called at the barrier, to which the door swung open to reveal Skye and Jack, both sporting fresh bandages, looking quite exhausted.

"That name ever get old, Nick?" the buck asked with less enthusiasm than he'd intended, they were just too tired to perk-up to appropriate levels.

"Nope!"

"Okay boys, playtime later, we've got business to discuss." the vixen interjected. Judy felt like she'd met her before, something about the eyes, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Carrots? Meet Jack Savage and Skye Winter. The only other fox and bunny team in the bureau." Nick stated with a smirk, "They're also the only two that don't know Halloween is on another day, in another month, and came in with very poor mummy costumes."

"Oh, har har... That was so damn funny, I really _did_ forget to laugh." Skye countered, Jack snickering at her side.

"Seriously though, what happened to you two?"

"Not a bomb, thankfully." Jack grumbled scratching at one of the bandages before Skye slapped the paw away. They'd been rushed to the infirmary on arrival, having started bleeding through the bandages by then, and had the larger wounds sewn shut, others only needed a good cleaning and fresh bandages to prevent infection, they weren't on light duty, but they were told to be mindful of the stitches for at least a good week.

"Rough day all around, eh?" Judy quietly chimed in, something about Skye was making her extremely uncomfortable, and it was gnawing at her that she couldn't figure out why.

 _I've met her before..._ the doe thought, _I know I have._

 _Probably just a case of mistaken identity._ Lefty offered, _White vixens aren't_ _ **that**_ _uncommon, and you've had to put a few on the ground in the past._

 _But those eyes are way too familiar, and they're usually yellow or brown._

 _It'll come to you._ Lefty said in dismissal of the thought.

Judy wasn't satisfied, but she figured it was best to drop it for the time being.

"So," Skye began, "You must be the new old recruit... pleasure to meet the famous Judith Laverne Hopps." she finished with an all too mischief laden tone, extending a paw toward the doe.

"Infamous would probably be the better term." Judy said with a nervous chuckle, taking the offered paw.

"Ooh... she's a keeper, Nicky. Got a sense of humor, and less ego than I'd expected, being around you." Skye said with a giggle, waiting for the bunny to take the bait.

"Aw, he's not _that_ bad..." Judy said with a grin and a sidelong glance at her fox.

Nick grinned back at her before making his counter attack. "Besides, I don't spend three hours brushing my tail every morning. My ego is well within acceptable limits."

Skye pouted at that as Jack stifled his laughter with his paws, only to break into uncontrolled laughter when the aforementioned tail whipped into his face. Said laughter ended abruptly when the vixen leaned over to whisper what she thought nobody else would catch, she'd momentarily forgotten there were _two_ bunnies in the room.

 _"That's the only 'tail' you're getting tonight."_

Judy broke into a veritable fit of giggles as her ears turned red, Jack's own fell down his back, face dropping to a state of 'Aw crap' as Nick raised an eyebrow at his bunny, wondering just what she'd heard, he could make several educated guesses.

Judy composed herself long enough to say, "I'll have to remember that one for later." she tapped a claw on her chin for a moment before adding, "Though, I can't exactly use my tail like that."

"You'll figure something out, I'm sure." Skye said with a wink.

Nick's grin fell as his face drooped slightly, "Wait. What? What did you say?" he looked between his bunny and the vixen rapidly, wanting to know exactly what pact was just forged between the two. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

He did, however, like the sight of Judy interacting with a fellow female beyond trying to kill each other.

 _Well, that was easy, good to see them get on friendly terms this quick._ Nick thought.

 _Yeah... You'd think they'd met before, quick as that was._ Tail commented.

 _Yeah, a little uncanny, isn't it?_ Nick added.

 _Yeah..._ Tail agreed once more.

 _Yeah..._ Nick reiterated in an awkward monotone.

"You two eat yet?" Judy asked, which immediately garnered a growl from Skye's stomach, "I'll take that as a no." she stated before tossing a bag of dried fish her way, getting a very confused look from the vixen, she hadn't realized what the doe had in her paw.

"You... eat meat?" Skye asked, bewildered, to which Judy let out a somewhat embarrassed giggle.

"It's fish! it doesn't count!" she defended, now looking down out her paws, ears turning red.

"Don't look at me, she needs her protein." Nick said, chuckling at the apprehensive vixen.

"I'm just a bit surprised, is all." Skye said with a curious glance at Jack, currently munching on a pack of mixed veggies before they got warm, he simply shrugged.

"So, do we have anything new on who's trying to kill us?" the vixen asked.

Judy and Nick exchanged a glance before the fox turned to their counterparts, explaining the whole of what had transpired prior to their arrival.

Jack couldn't help but laugh over the whole 'Mole' thing, but he and Skye had seen enough crazy he wasn't going to discount the possibility. "Think the drive's got names or bases of operation?"

Nick frowned a bit, responding, "We don't know for sure, yet. We may have had intel regarding precisely whom stumble upon us this afternoon, but Wolfard's currently trying to crack it."

* * *

They'd long since gone through what they'd brought up in the way of foodstuffs and were far from satiated. After a few discussions between the four regarding what they were interested in so far as something substantial, Jack and Nick broke off to get coffee and pick up an actual meal downstairs, the fox had a few questions for the buck, and it was a good opportunity to ask them outside earshot of Judy.

They took a seat on a bench in the cafeteria, waiting for their order when Nick finally let out a long breath.

"How do you two deal with it?"

Jack's ears flicked toward the fox as his expression went from the usual calm to inquisitive, "Deal with what?"

Nick gestured vaguely in the air, "Mammals trying to kill you, it was one thing when it was just me, but when that car blew up... all I could think of was losing her." the fox finished, looking far worse for wear than he had in the office.

Jack hadn't been expecting that, but he was well acquainted with the feeling.

"We don't."

It was Nick's turn to don a confused look, "What do you mean? Isn't it kind of a constant thing?"

Jack took a moment to ponder his words before responding, "We don't 'deal with it' in an active sense..." the buck paused briefly, "It's just a fact of life, we might lose each other at a moment's notice."

Nick considered the statement, looking exhausted, "So, what... you just accept it and move along?"

"Not exactly, no. We recognize it as a possibility and make the most of every moment we have together, rather than dwelling on what _could_ happen."

"I think I get what you mean." Nick said after a pregnant silence, "I still can't help but worry about the possibility of losing her, but we can make the time we have together count as much we're able." he said, brightening a bit.

It wasn't exactly the most attractive premise, resigning oneself to the idea of losing their mate, but it made sense, in their line of work.

 _Hell, even outside work, mammals get hit by cars, fall off of construction sites, heart failure, seizures..._ Tail commented, _You never know what's going to happen, and worrying about unknowns isn't going to change it, so where's the point in doing anything other than cherishing the time you_ _ **do**_ _have together, even when things get rough?_

 _Well, that was a bit unexpected from you._ the fox countered.

 _I have my moments, remember... LITERALLY INSIDE YOUR HEAD._

 _Fair point._

Nick had a genuine smile flash across his face, something the buck wasn't expecting, as he finally spoke again.

"Thanks, Jack... that actually makes a lot of sense."

"Don't mention it. It's not exactly an easy thing to come to terms with, but it's necessary." Jack's face darkened momentarily as he added, "And the last thing either of you needs during a case is to let that stop you from making the right decision, _particularly_ when your mate's life is on the line."

 ** _"ORDER UP, Wilde! Savage!"_** rang out across the hall as two bags hit the counter top, which they retrieved before making their way back to the office.

* * *

Judy and Skye were having a very different conversation while their respective males were off 'hunting'.

"So, how was the last contract?" Skye asked as soon as the door clicked shut, her features growing slightly dark.

"Contract?" Judy replied, apprehensive in light of the vixen's tone.

"Don't say you don't remember me, bunny girl."

"I haven't the slightest clue what you mean." Judy's face twisted into a grimace, she didn't like where this was going.

Skye reached into the duffel bag they'd brought from home, pulling out a slender, sickeningly familiar, wire-like weapon.

 _Uh-oh..._ Lefty remarked.

 _Sweet cheese and crackers._ Judy thought, she recognized the odd 'blade', and she knew why the vixen made her so uncomfortable. Skye was an effective relic of her past, one that was less than pleasant.

 _Think she's still mad?_ Righty questioned.

"We have a bit of a score to settle." Skye said, brandishing the weapon at the doe. "Don't you think?"

Judy made a very calm response. "This isn't exactly a good place for this."

 _Well great, now she wants us dead._

 _Could be worse,_ Lefty commented, _she could've just killed us already._

"There's enough space." Skye stated with a very mischievous grin, tossing the doe a knife.

"You're going to pop a stitch."

"I'll be gentle."

"They'll be back soon." Judy replied, rising off her haunches, bringing her nearly eye-to-eye with the vixen.

"Let's make it quick, then."

* * *

Nick and Jack walked back into the office to find Skye and Judy on the floor, sleeping.

"Well, can't say I blame them." Nick yawned, "Help me set up the cot?"

"Sure."

The two went about unfolding the metal monstrosity, it was designed for much larger mammals, and would provide more than enough space for both pairs to be fairly comfortable on opposite ends, they were a bit surprised that neither female woke on the number of occasions they dropped cross-bars, resulting in ear-splitting amounts of noise, but they were far too tired to question it.

Nick helped the buck heave Skye onto the cot before situating Judy on the other end, Jack pulled a blanket up over his mate and himself after adjusting her head to rest across his chest, her tail reflexively flipping up over her mate. Nick curled around his bunny, the food would keep until they'd all got some proper sleep.

* * *

Fox and bunny were both short of breath, staring each other down from sitting positions on opposite sides of the office space.

"You haven't missed a beat." Skye stated with a grin.

"Are you satisfied, now?"

"Very!" Skye said with a bark of laughter, they'd been a flurry of limbs mere moments before, neither giving any quarter, though they didn't intend to injure one another, this was simply to see who would give in first when faced with a controlled environment.

At least, for the most part.

Judy finally stood, moving to take a seat next to the vixen, handing back the knife. "Good, so are we done with this?"

"More or less." Skye replied, jabbing the doe with that damned pen.

"Oh, come on!" Judy keened, though with a grin.

"I win, bunny."

"It's a draw, actually." Judy giggled before flopping over.

"What...?" Skye then saw an identical pen roll from the doe's, now slack, paw.

"Really?!" the vixen all but shrieked as she stuffed everything back into the bag before her vision gave way, and she went down next to the doe, tongue lolling out one side of her maw.

* * *

 _ **A/N MkII:**_

 _ **Yep... Not sure what to say here. Next chapter is in WIP status, decent chunk of it is prepped.**_

 _ **I should have it out soon, and yes, I AM still having fun with this, just had a perfect storm of issues converge on my position, resulting in a massive loss of productivity. xD**_

 _ **...Still waiting to get that cookie.**_


	7. Chapter 6: Second Date, First Op

_**A/N: C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!**_  
 _ **Thought I was exaggerating when I said this one was just about ready, didn't ya?**_

 _ **As always, major thanks to GameBoy for his assistance! Can't point out specifics just yet, it'd spoil the incoming surprises.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy!**_  
 _ **TOG**_ _ **.**_  
 _ **(\\_(\**_  
 _ **(b^,^)b**_

* * *

 _ **Agent Wilde 2: Mountains out of Molehills**_

 _ **Chapter 6**_  
 _ **Second Date, First Op.**_

* * *

Judy was the first to wake, the tranquilizer having run its course rather quickly, she found herself encompassed in a cozy, fuzzy red mass of fur.

Nick's breaths were slow and steady, heartrate low, keeping her in a sleepy daze by pure proximity.

 _Morning, Sunshine._ Lefty drawled, her calculating tone being left soft in light of the current arrangements.

 _Do we have to get up?_ Righty yawned her disapproval of the idea.

 _No._ Judy replied, turning gently to face her fox, _At least, not yet…_

Nick punctuated the response with a particularly deep breath, nose pressing into her fur- one of dozens of scenting breaths during their impromptu nap, the exhale running over her ears in a warm wash down the collar of her shirt. She let out a small sigh, she almost wished they were just a normal couple, no killers to worry about, no one out for their blood. She wanted desperately to just sleep in, cradled by the one mammal she'd ever cared for beyond family.

Sadly, the silence was broken by a chorus of phones going off all at once.

Nick groaned, stretching and subsequently rolling over, trapping the doe underneath him with a surprised squeak, Skye all but leaping out of the shared cot, sending Jack flipping over the other edge.

The buck let out a pained sigh, "That's an interesting 'Good morning'…"

Skye crept over the cot, peering over, "Sorry, dear. Reflex." She stated in apology, reaching down to help him right himself.

Nick realized why the cot had suddenly become so comfortable, and snapped up to all fours, revealing a somewhat flustered and suffocated doe.

"Morning…" he said with a tinge of embarrassment.

Judy let out a short sigh, it was only _slightly_ uncomfortable. "Morning, Slick."

They all scrambled slightly to find their respective devices, all failing miserably.

"Aw, that's just precious…" Skye said as she held up Judy's phone, displaying the background from her return to the bureau.

Nick's ears were planted firmly onto his skull as he passed Jack's phone to him, "That uh… that's an eyeful." He said, clearing his throat. Having seen a tasteful- if lewd, shot of Skye crawling toward the camera, in the buff.

Jack's ears had fallen down his back as he received the device, passing Nick his own.

Judy was staring at Skye's with a warm smile that held a strong sense of longing… it was of the buck and vixen on their wedding day. They looked so _happy_.

 _You think he'd go for something traditional like this…?_

 _I get the feeling he'd want to make it something special… something we'd never forget._ Righty commented with a 'coo'.

Judy passed Skye's phone over, a bit awkwardly, having stared at it like that. "Sorry... it's a lovely photo."

"It's a day I'll never forget." Skye said fondly, "I'd do it again, if we could turn back the clock." She added with a wistful grin.

Nick caught a glimpse of the screen as it changed paws, feeling a slight pang in his chest as it hit home _why_ she was staring at it with so much want.

 _Hm…_

 _Another time, pal._ Tail chided.

 _I know._

They all knew what the alert was for, proceeding to wolf-down the now cold food, heating it would take too much time, time that could be used to hunt down their collective threat. They filed out of the office to meet with Bogo and Wolfard.

After a silent walk to the wolf's office, all four agents seated, Bogo waved a hoof at the wolf, who was all but leaping out of his own seat.

"WE HAVE A LIST!" Wolfard burst out, tongue lolling, eyes blazing despite the bags hanging below them.

"Ralph…" Bogo gently- for Bogo, chastised.

"Right, sorry… WE HAVE A LIST!" The wolf all but yelled once more, Bogo put a hoof to the bridge of his nose, the wolf was overtired, and like all canids, easily excited when they knew they'd done well, he let it slide this time.

"A list of what, Scruffy?" Nick questioned.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Wolfard replied, excitement refusing to wane. "It's a list of regular meeting places for our battered squirrel, his point of contact… You wouldn't _believe_ how detailed his code was! He took hexadecimal, converted sections into binary, hid the key to it in _BRAILLE_ and then scrambled it all into a-"

"Woah, woah… In English, please?" Nick interjected, he knew the wolf went through security hell to get the information, but it was far too early, and they were all far too under-caffeinated to remotely grasp even half of what the tech-inclined wolf was about to go over, much less in any detail.

A familiar voice broke through from the corner, having gone unnoticed when they entered, "It's a list of their meeting points, a base description of the mammals he was going to be in contact with at a given meeting, as well as the keywords they were to use for confirmation of a safe contact in the event that either of them were to be replaced due to unforeseen circumstances."

A raccoon with a 'Trainee' badge hanging from his shirt stepped over to stand next to the wolf, leaning on his chair.

"Cooper?!" Judy blurted out, quite surprised to see the mammal in question.

"He was debriefed while you two were still hospitalized." Bogo stated, "Shortly before he… _convinced_ us he would be a reliable asset by crashing the entire system and broadcasting some horrid song about what foxes say across the building."

Cooper and Ralph let out a chuckle, exchanging a fist-bump at the statement.

"He also mentioned quite a bit about you, Hopps-" Bogo raised a hoof as Judy's ears fell, eyes going wide. "all off the record." The buffalo added, the doe's eyes dropping to her feet in clear shame, until she heard an otherwise inaudible whisper.

" _Hey, don't sweat it, Fluff. It's all in the past, where it belongs."_

Her eyes flicked to the fox seated next to her, his eyes were still fixed on the mammals in front of them, but he was sporting a knowing grin and his tail had once more curled around, resting behind her on the chair, tip flicking at one of her ears.

Tail had gotten better about keeping things more discreet, and the exchange went widely unnoticed by all but the other bunny in the room.

Said buck simply grinned, keeping his eyes forward.

"They're still working on cracking the rest, but if nothing else, we have a lead." Bogo stated, moving to rest his hooves on the small desk, which let out a creak of protest. "I'm not exactly keen on sending _ANY_ of you into the field right now, much less you two." He said with a pointed glance at Jack and Skye, both still sporting stitches for their injuries, "But we can't waste any time, and we have to assume that the other side is thinking the same thing right now."

"Where do you want us to start, Sir?" Jack asked, standing in the chair.

"For the time being, I want you two to play support for WildeHopps."

Nick snorted, "WildeHopps, Sir?"

Judy couldn't help but giggle at the title, given that was what her mind had been on this very morning. "How come he gets title priority? Why not HoppsWilde?"

Nick let out a dramatic gasp, "You wound me, Carrots… I'm the senior acting agent here, as such, I respectfully request that you not question my superiority of Surname."

Judy boxed the fox in the arm with a smirk. "Mhmm… You're just lucky 'WildeHopps' rolls off the tongue better." Putting a paw to her chin, she added, "Technically speaking, _'_ _ **I**_ _'_ Would be the senior agent here… I just took a long, forced hiatus." The doe finished with a smug grin.

"…Touché _ **.**_ " The fox conceded with a grin of his own. Bogo let out a tired sigh.

 _These two will be the death of me._

"If you two are quite finished, the official briefing will be taking place in a few hours, you need to get properly outfitted. Their next contact was _tonight_."

Wolfard handed over a single slip of paper with a short list of words, and an address.

"Get it memorized before you leave, blow your cover and we're all screwed."

They took the slip and made immediately for the armory, they already had their usual gear, sidearms, vests and what have you, they were given the same sleek earpiece Nick had on his trip to the Isles, a single burner each, and a recorder under the guise of a ballpoint pen for Nick. Judy deigned to keep a hilariously stereotypical carrot shaped pen for reasons she didn't state beyond, "It's sentimental."

They were then directed to a makeshift salon for a quick, but effective, cosmetic fix.

* * *

Jack and Skye were sitting in a sleek sportscar, windows heavily tinted, retrofitted with a hefty array of observation equipment.

"What do you think they're getting done?" Jack asked, long since bored after the initial excitement wore off.

"Probably just a bit of a dye job, change a distinctive color, contacts and whatnot."

Jack nodded, settling back into the silence.

After what felt like ages, Skye let out a long sigh.

"What's up?" the buck inquired.

She shifted in her seat a bit, "I just wish we weren't on restriction…"

"I know what you mean, we finally get some real screen time, and we're on _medical restriction_? What kind of screwy turn of events is _that_?"

"Right?! I mean, it's not like we've-… 'screen time'?" the vixen asked with a confused tone.

"…What?"

"You said something about 'screen time', we're not in a film, Jack."

"Feels like it, sometimes. Think about it." The buck replied, turning in his seat, "What are the odds Hopps would've had an adrenaline injection on her that day on the ship?" he questioned with an air of finality.

"…Huh." The vixen couldn't respond to that, adrenaline wasn't exactly common equipment for mammals abroad, much less one on independent contract outside the ZBI.

Both mammals sat staring out the windshield after that, pondering the current situation, as well as past events, and how… _orchestrated_ so much of it seemed in hindsight.

* * *

"Nick…?" Judy asked from behind a separating curtain, having the black tips on her ears blended out into a bleached cream color just a few shades lighter than the rest of her coat.

"Yeah, Fluff?"

"…Why is my cover name 'Carrots'?"

Nick snorted back a laugh as the artist continued bleaching out his tail and ears. "No clue…"

The curtain snapped open, leaving the currently undressed fox unable to react without getting chemicals in his eyes, or into the red of his coat.

The doe was still recognizable to the fox, though only halfway, she had several patches across her torso of varying blacks, browns and grays, running up to and wrapping around her face like a half-mask. The only thing that was still original was one eye, a currently blazing violet glaring at the fox in good humor, the other was a green not far from the fox's own. The simple fact they were both lacking clothing had gone forgotten while they were being worked on.  
If it weren't for the change in eye color, he'd say she wore the quad look quite well.

"You do realize I'm not going to let you get off scot-free on this, yes?"

"So long as I get off." Nick immediately fired off, before he could realize what the statement implied. Judy's jaw dropped, one eye twitching slightly. That sweet scent was back again, but with a harsh edge to it.

 _AAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA!_ Tail couldn't contain himself, and immediately began thrashing, which resulted in the mammal working on Nick to spill the chemical cocktail in his paws, everywhere.

Everyone instinctively closed their eyes, when they opened them, it was Judy who was laughing.

Nick's coat was rapidly being bleached out in massive patches, and he looked absolutely ridiculous. The doe decided this was quite good enough and snapped a picture of the poor patchwork fox. Sadly, after that, they had no choice but to finish the job and do the rest of his coat in the same manner.

"You know… you don't look bad as an Arctic." The doe commented with a smile. Nick harrumphed at the statement as he popped in the second contact, leaving his eyes a bright, but rusty yellow.

"I do miss the green, though." The doe stated with a smirk, framing blue and green eyes.

"I could say the same for you, although… I've always had a thing for heterochromia." The white tod stated, leaning down with a toothy grin and half-lidded eyes.

"Maybe we could have some fun before we drop the cover story…" She stated with a sultry tone.

 _ROLL WITH IT._ Tail stated, once again flailing, thankfully not around chemicals, this time.

 _Hush you._

"Are you propositioning me, Miss Hopps?"

The doe didn't reply immediately, instead she just bounced off her haunches slightly, giving the fox a quick kiss before she walked off to get an outfit for the venue, one ear draped over her shoulder, tail bobbing, hips swaying the whole way. "I'm not hearing a _'no',_ Foxy."

 _Think she'll keep that tone up the whole time?_ Tail asked with a pant.

"I wouldn't object." Nick replied after managing to close his maw long enough.

He shook his head a bit before following the doe into the adjacent room for an appropriate outfit.

He entered to find the bunny pawing through a robust rack of clothing, pausing here and there.

"This place is one of those 'retro' joints, right?" She asked the fox without turning from the rack.

"Yep, some 80's deal, plaid skirts, plaid footwraps, that kind of thing." He replied, going through the male selections, mostly cheesy suits, torn jeans and torn jean-suits, it was one fashion abomination after another.

The doe continued pawing through before pulling one outfit back to the front that had apparently caught her eye. "No way…" she exclaimed softly before bolting for one of the curtained rails in the corner of the room.

"Find something lacking holes and tears, I take it?" Nick teased, pulling yet another set with torn jeans to the front. "I'm chalking that up to the Rabbit Foot phenomenon."

The fox was making a second round through, hoping he'd missed a set that wasn't missing half the fabric when he heard the curtain being whipped open with a swish and rattle.

"What do you think?"

 _If she keeps up that tone of voice, I'm not going to be able to focus…_ he thought, turning to see a more bashful Judy than her voice would imply.

She was wearing a somewhat loose cut-off top, exposing her midriff, with a Salutations Serval design on the front. The shirt was accented by a zipper-ridden purple faux leather jacket, the 'waistline' of it ending abruptly after the aforementioned top, ears up with a rainbow monstrosity of braided lacy cord tied at the base.  
The whole outfit was brought together with a mid-length, angled skirt over leggings sporting several horizontal rips, along with archaic, laced, plaid footwraps. The icing on the cake for the tod, however, was the resulting stance for the outfit was strictly designed around walking off the haunches.

"…"

"Is it too much?" the doe asked, feeling more self-conscious the longer Nick stared without managing a word.

Nick simply raised an eyebrow, eyes running over her form, pausing repeatedly at her legs, the leggings weren't see-through, but he could easily make out the lithe musculature underneath, and it was killing him.  
Judy lowered her stance a bit, though not so far as to make contact with the ground, pulling one of her ears down to fiddle with it, eyes flicking between the fox and the floor.

"…I'll grab something else."

Nick finally gained enough cognizance to speak. "No!"

The doe jumped a bit at the sudden outburst, eyes flashing open, she froze.

Nick cleared his throat, worked his tongue clumsily for a moment, and tried again. "No, it looks good…"

She brightened a bit, small smile forming.

" _Really_ good."

Her tail started flicking.

"I suppose… if you're going with that, I should go with…" He flicked through the rack once more, pulling a set and drawing the curtain.

Judy watched the dim silhouette pulling on this, tying down that, and generally rushing to don its clothing.

 _He'd look amazing in a puck-rock outfit._ Righty purred.

 _I was thinking greaser, myself._ Lefty commented.

 _Please, he could kill almost anything._ The doe shot back.

… _Touché._ Both sides replied in unison.

"You need a paw in there, Slick?" She teased, wondering just what he'd grabbed.

"You offering?" The fox replied, poking his head out with a smirk.

"Just hurry up so I can see!"

The fox obliged, at least until he ended up losing his balance, desperately grabbing the curtain on his way to say hello to the floor. Standing with a grimace, curtain hanging around him, Judy couldn't help herself, and started laughing as she grabbed a laurel off one of the shelves, planting it loosely on the fox's head.

Nick's plastered on a look of 'you're joking, right?' before he unwrapped the curtain from his form and tossed it loosely over the rail.

"Not bad…" the doe commented as she looked him over.

He was wearing simple set of ripped up jeans, a half-tucked shirt sporting a Buns'n'Posies logo over a long-sleeved grey stretch-fit she knew would show off quite a bit more without the interfering t-shirt.  
His own get-up was polished off with a garish double-eyed belt, looped up and under itself after the buckle, and a black folded cap with an ear popped out of one side.

He tossed aside the footwraps, he was never a fan of them, opting to simply stand off his haunches without extra encouragement.

She couldn't help but appreciate the simple look, and slight feral edge he had when off his haunches.

 _Something's missing…_ she thought as she took it in.

 _Two things, actually._ Lefty commented.

"Well…?" the fox asked with a hesitant grin.

The doe didn't respond, instead, she grabbed a jacket from the rack, tossing it to the fox, it was a similarly zipper infested look to her own, black, a bit too tight for the fox to close, but thankfully waist length.

Nick struck a pose in a mirror, the jacket was a definite improvement.

"Good?" he asked, assuming the doe was done.

She wasn't.

She stood as tall as she could, grabbing his shirt by the collar and proceeding to tear it down to the top of the logo, running her paws down his chest, enjoying both the act of tearing his shirt, and the feel of his almost downy coat.

Nick's ears were fully forward at this point, watching the satisfied look on the doe's face as she pulled him closer. She closed the minimal distance, both mammals tilting to opposing sides. A simple, now practiced, motion of muzzles meeting.

"Good."

* * *

The pair approached an otherwise standard vehicle, transformed and ready for their 'date night', jackets having been fitted with internal holsters- as discreet as they could be, the only real downside to their respective get-ups was the distinct lack of ability to easily hide ballistic vests.

Skye caught their scent under the fading tones of chemicals, and nearly lost it when she saw Wilde was white as a ghost.

"Holy…" Jack started, looking between the two as they approached the car, there was no way it wasn't Hopps and Wilde. Visual differences aside, it was odd to see them both off their haunches, walking strictly on pad and claw... it was almost elegant.

"Well, I suppose that seals it, you really _were_ jealous of my spotless coat, weren't you?" Skye stated with a giggle, turning her attention to the quad-patterned bunny at his side, "I'm not hot on the eyes, but I have to say, you two were clearly born in the wrong generation. Not too many mammals can pull off…" she knew it was supposed to be retro, but good lord was it overstated, "whatever look _that_ is."

Judy let out a nervous chuckle before clearing her throat and resuming the same tone she had earlier, though with a bit more pep and angle in it, "I'm sorry, do we know you? We've just been waiting for our Zuber to the club." She punctuated the statement by popping a piece of gum into her mouth and proceeding to blow a comically large bubble with it.

' _ **POP!'**_

"Idn't that right, Vin?"

"You're already having too much fun with this." Nick stated with a grin.

"I've literally been doing this for years, Slick." The doe replied, with far less excitement as the statement finished, "It's just nice not being alone in it. Feels more like a game, this way…"

 _She_ _ **was**_ _on the run for a long time._ Tail commented, _Probably takes the fun out of it when you're doing it to survive._

 _Fair point._ Nick agreed, _Now… bunny, ears drooping_ _,_ _fix._

 _Bunny, cute, fluffy._ Tail replied, beginning to swish before wrapping around the doe and pulling her over to the vehicle.

"C'mon babe, these mooks _are_ the Zubah." Nick said clenching a toothpick in his molars, opening the door and ushering the bunny in. All with a very cheesy, surprisingly effective accent reminiscent of old B-grade gangster flicks before snapping his claws at Skye and Jack with a look of disdain and a mischievous wink.

"…" Jack stared at the two as they took their seat- in a literal sense, there was just enough space in the back for one mammal, given the equipment that had been jammed into the already tight space.

The window rolled down to show Judy lounging back in the fox's lap, kicking the driver's seat while staring with disinterest at her phone, still blowing bubbles, Nick making a 'Let's get moving' motion with his paw.

Skye and Jack exchanged an amused look.

"They've created _monsters_ …" Jack stated as the window rose to a closed position with Nick grinning, rolling his eyes. _'greasy goombas'._

"I think it's cute…" Skye stated with a smirk, "don't say you're not jealous, just because we're stuck on support for this one." The vixen scolded playfully, "You've just got tangled fur because I'm not in a short skirt and tights." She finished with a whip of her tail, taking her seat at the wheel.

* * *

They were all silent for a short while after the vehicle pulled out and away.

"If things go tails up, you two are to get out, _NOT_ engage, Skye and I will be monitoring things as closely as we can. If it comes down to it, we can feed you answers, but the more organic your interactions are, the better." Jack stated.

"Why bother taking guns at all, then?" Nick chided, Judy just shook her head at the exchange.

"Shooting your way out is a last resort, Wilde. Unless you intentionally drop your story, you two shouldn't run into any issues. So far as we've been made aware, Secret was the only mammal accessing our building electronically, as such, they shouldn't have any inclination that you two have undergone your little change in appearance." Skye shot back.

Jack let out a short sigh, "Look, you two are clearly already settled into your personas, just don't drop them and you'll be fine, this is as much about your ability to maintain a calm, consistent act when you're faced with mammals intelligent enough to poke holes in it."

The buck quickly cut off Nick's building retort, "I know you managed in the Isles, Wilde, but this is different. For one; you two are working in _tandem_ on this, not trying to fool one another."

"And two?"

"…There's more than one _immediate_ life at stake if either of you slip up."

Nick and Judy- or rather, 'Vinny and Carry' exchanged a look, they both knew what was at risk, and they were determined to avoid that 'worst' outcome at all costs.

It was a fairly long drive, all four mammals were firing off the potential questions and appropriate answers off the sheet they'd been given, they were well versed in its contents well before they reached their destination, a neon ridden, thumping monstrosity of a club. It was impressive, if only for the fact the bulk of it was underground.

'Vinny' sent off a single message on his personal phone before leaving it alongside Judy's in the back seat, the contact was simply listed as _**WC-1-LPR**_.

The two were deposited at the front, standing in the neon glow of the massive letters above the stairwell leading down and in.

* * *

Skye pulled away from the club, out around the block, turning the headlights off while she turned into a side alley far enough from the building to not draw undue attention, but not so far as to waste time if they needed to get out quickly.

"Think they'll be able to pull it off without trouble?"

"It's Wilde, Skye… the likelihood of things going south is high by proxy." The buck responded, handing over one of the headsets, flicking switches and adjusting volume levels. "You heard about the Isles, it was effectively one flip of the coin after another."

"True, but he didn't really have any backup, then. You know as well as I do how much easier things are when you've got someone to watch your tail."

"And _you_ know as well as _I_ do how much that same factor can throw a monkey wrench into things on both sides."

"They'll find their common ground quickly enough, dear. If they haven't already."

Jack could only grin at that as he made his final adjustments and leaned back in his seat, the equipment coming through crystal clear, thus far.

"Ready, Carrots?" Vinny asked, adjusting his jacket, replacing the toothpick with a fresh one.

"As I'll ever be." Carry replied, lacing her paws around the arctic fox's offered arm.

"Let's give 'em a show."

The odd pairing took the stairs at a casual pace, fading from silhouettes into nothing as the neon lights were left behind them.

 _ **Greasy Pete's**_

* * *

 _ **A/N MkII:**_

 _ **Wait for the next chapter might be a bit, there's going to be a lot going on in it…**_  
 _ **In the meantime, I've been curious, how many of the references and pokes at other shows, games, stories, etc. have you caught and really recognized or enjoyed since OhNo? (Don't pay any heed to the Wizard of Oz one, I made a mistake on that, it doesn't exist, there is no Wizard…) (o,o)**_

 _ **Sincerely,**_  
 _ **TOG: The Wizard of Gauze.**_

 _ **_/\\_**_  
 _ **\\(*o*)/**_


End file.
